The New Orleans Saints signed Clarksdale native and former Mississippi State Bulldog J.T. Gray to a three-year contract extension on Friday, according to General Manager Mickey Loomis.
The new deal will pay Gray $9.6 million with $2.4 million in guarantees, and he could earn as much as $11.1 million if he hits additional playtime incentives.
Gray, who played for Mississippi State from 2014-2017, has played in 67 regular season games and three postseason contests since joining New Orleans in 2018 as an undrafted free agent.
Over the past five seasons for New Orleans, Gray has become a linchpin on the team’s special teams units, with the two-time team captain making 56 special teams stops, three coverage fumble recoveries, and one blocked punt. He has also added seven defensive stops, 2.5 sacks, and one pass defended.
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Since his first full season in 2019, Gray’s 54 special teams stops rank first in the NFC and second in the NFL, and his 54 solo stops lead the conference and are tied for the NFL lead.
Gray has twice been selected as an Associated Press All-Pro for his special teams excellence (first-team in 2021) and was voted as a Pro Bowl starter for his efforts as well in the 2021 campaign, where he led the league with 19 stops (NFL-best 16 solo).
In 2022, Gray appeared in 14 games and led the team in coverage stops for the fourth consecutive season, recording 12 tackles to go with five defensive stops (two solo) and 2.5 sacks.
During his time at Mississippi State, he appeared in 45 games with 17 starts and collected 210 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, eight passes defended, and one interception.
