METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan has been the heart and soul of the Saints defense for most of his career.
He's amassed a franchise-record 117.5 sacks, gone to eight Pro Bowls and been a team captain since the 2015 season. In 14 seasons, he's only missed one game due to injury.
Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu, who watched Jordan for years before he became his teammate in 2022, said he's "given his all" to both the organization and the city.
"You root for guys like that. You want them to succeed. You want guys like that to be happy no matter what," Mathieu said. "But his value isn't tied to strip sacks and setting the edges. I think his value is much more than that."
Those intangibles will be needed this weekend as the Saints (2-1) attempt to bounce back from their first loss of the season against the Falcons in Atlanta (1 p.m. ET, Fox). Some players might downplay the notion of a rivalry game, but Jordan fully embraces it, calling it "Falcons hate week" when the NFC South rival is on the schedule.
"There's going to be five days of 'Screw them. The coach, the city, the GM that used to work for us. Everybody's got to get it. And the city feels that,'" Jordan said on his podcast 'Off the Edge with Cam Jordan.'
Jordan's 27th edition of Falcons hate week will look a little different this year, as he's likely to have a significantly reduced role behind younger players like Carl Granderson (27) and Chase Young (25). Jordan has started all three games but played only 29% of the snaps in the Saints' 15-12 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last week, the lowest amount of his career.
"I think we'll see a little bit more of those other guys," said Saints coach Dennis Allen. "It boils down to effectiveness. And I think those two guys have been playing at a pretty high level. It's no disrespect or anything negative towards Cam. It's kind of how this game goes at some point in time. But he's still an extremely important part of what we do."
The Saints will be facing a Falcons team they beat 48-17 in the 2023 season finale, a game capped by a controversial Jamaal Williams touchdown run out of victory formation on their final drive. The touchdown caused Allen to publicly apologize to the Falcons and then-coach Arthur Smith after the players changed the play in the huddle.
Williams said "it was just a touchdown" and means nothing in the context of this game. Jordan, who has seen his share of weirdness in his many games against the Falcons, said he didn't particularly care if the Falcons hold a grudge.
"I don't care what they're pleased with," Jordan said in response to a question about that game on Thursday. "What does that have to do with us? If you want forgiveness, go to your mother. I'm sure she'll say sorry for you. I ain't got nothing for you."
Jordan's quips on Thursday included calling the Falcons "the fail clowns" and "the dirty birds." It was a sign that his fervor for this particular game hasn't diminished with his changing role.
Neither has his passion for the game in general. Jordan called himself "blessed" to be in one place for so long.
"The team has given me so much. The chance to play. The chance to get 117 ½ sacks here. The chance to enter camp and be physically the best I've ever felt," Jordan said. "But ... it's not about me. It's about the team. It's about what we can do as a team. And we're trying to win a Super Bowl."
Jordan, 35, doesn't have a sack this season and will have to try to get his first one while playing a supporting role for the first time.
It's a drastic change from previous Falcons games, such as the 2019 matchup on Thanksgiving, when he had four sacks to help seal the NFC South title. He would go on to finish with a career-best 15.5 sacks that season. A 2020 game against the Falcons saw Jordan sack Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan three times, helping the team pile up eight sacks that day.
Jordan had so much success against Ryan and the Falcons that he thanked Ryan after becoming the team's all-time sack leader at the end of the 2022 season. Ryan, who officially retired in April, was sacked 23 times by Jordan.
Those days might be behind him now.
Signs of change began last season when Jordan battled through an ankle injury to finish with two sacks. He was told before training camp this year that the Saints were considering moving him inside at defensive tackle in certain situations.
While the Saints have done that at times this year, they used him inside only once against the Eagles last week.
Even though Jordan's usage still seems to be a work in progress, he said his effort will never be in question and thinks the tape backs that up.
"If you turn on the film, the film doesn't lie," Jordan said. "I'm not in a position to say what will happen. I can tell you what the effort will be given and where I can be used."
Personal feelings have to be pushed aside for the good of the team, he said.
"Whatever puts us in a winning position, let's win one," Jordan said. "I've said it from the beginning. I'm trying to win a Super Bowl here. I'm trying to play the rest of my career here. I'm trying to, I guess, play the rest of my career ... whatever it is, this is an opportunity for me to show what a leader I am. Not just walk it and talk it, live by it."
Mathieu said Jordan's play is only one part of his contribution to the team. He sees it in the way he teaches the younger players, and he said he knows Jordan won't let this change how he handles that aspect.
Especially not during Falcons hate week.
"Cam's a pro. I think he'll be a pro about it. I think the competitor in him, obviously, it was probably a little heavy on him. Weighing on him," Mathieu said. " ... He's made a lot of plays and he shouldn't feel down about himself. He'll be in the Hall of Fame one day. I think this is part of his work, just kind of embracing that new role."