Sean Payton has said that it will be "challenging" for the New Orleans Saints to re-sign Jimmy Graham during the off-season.
The tight end will become a free agent next month, while the NFC South side are projected to be around $12m (£7.3m) above the salary cap.
The head coach told Fox Sports: "The most challenging part of your job as a coach, and I share that with [general manager] Mickey [Loomis] or anyone that has been with an organisation as long as we have been, going on year nine, is some of the tough decisions that have to be made with regards to your cap with the ability that you possibly can sign Jimmy Graham.
"It's very easy to say 'you are certainly going to get this done' but you have to understand there is a budget here.
"That's the challenging part. You are going to read these names that have already come across the ticker from Atlanta last week and we will be no different."
Graham had 1,215 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns in 2013.
Sian Cowper
