23 days until Saints season opener: Every player to wear No. 23

USA Today

a day ago

From the first Saints Pro Bowler to a Super Bowl winner and Defensive Rookie of the Year
A 23-day wait remains until the New Orleans Saints host the Arizona Cardinals to open their 2025 season. The No. 23 is currently worn by running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, a former LSU Tigers star. It's also a jersey that's been worn by some of the finest players in New Orleans history. This is a look at the complete list of players who have worn the number.
Saints' History of No. 23
Dave Whitsell was the first to wear No. 23 for New Orleans, doing so for the first three seasons of franchise existence. Joining the Saints in the 1967 expansion draft after a standout career with the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears, Whitsell was an instant star in New Orleans. He led the NFL with 10 interceptions in 1967, still a single-season franchise record, while earning the first Pro Bowl in franchise history.
Whitsell went on to have 9 interceptions over his last two years with the Saints. His 19 career interceptions remain fifth-most in franchise history. In 1996, Whitsell was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame. He and Dave Waymer, inducted that same season, became the second New Orleans defensive backs to receive those honors.
Doug Wyatt was the first New Orleans draft pick to wear No. 24. Wyatt was a 17th-round choice in 1970, but stuck around and intercepted 8 passes over 40 games in three years. The first offensive player to wear a No. 23 jersey in New Orleans was Joe Profit, who rushed for 274 yards in one season with the team. There wouldn't be another offensive player to wear No. 23 until Buford Jordan did it in 1986.
A star with the New Orleans and Portland Breakers of the original USFL, Jordan also went to Iota High School and McNeese State in Louisiana. He'd join the Saints in 1986 after the USFL folded and was a valuable reserve back and special teams contributor for seven seasons. As a Saint, Jordan had 1,042 yards from scrimmage and scored 9 touchdowns. His 75 games are the third most by any Saints player to wear the No. 23 jersey. Jordan was one of three straight New Orleans running backs to wear No. 23. One of those was Lorenzo Neal, who arrived as a fourth round choice in the 1993 NFL draft. Neal had a 16-year career as one of the most respected fullbacks in the NFL, with four of those years as a Saint. He only wore No. 23 as a rookie, before switching to No. 22.
Kevin Mathis was best-known during his time with the Dallas Cowboys. However, Mathis was also a productive member of the Saints secondary for two years after leaving Dallas. Mathis had 3 interceptions and 15 pass breakups in his two years in New Orleans while also forcing 5 fumbles and recording a sack. He was one of only two of the seven players to wear No. 23 between 1993 and 2007 to wear the jersey for more than one year, including former Cowboys teammate Omar Stoutmire.
In 2007 came the arrival of one of the most beloved players to wear any number for the Saints. Pierre Thomas came to New Orleans as an undrafted rookie with little expectation from the NFL world. It was surprising enough when Thomas vastly outplayed Antonio Pittman, a rookie fourth round pick that year, but what followed couldn't have been predicted by even the best prognosticator.
Thomas played nine years for New Orleans, with his 105 games the most for any player to wear a No. 23 jersey. He was a consistent weapon for one of the most prolific offenses in NFL history, particularly lethal in the biggest moments or on screen passes. Thomas rushed for 3,745 yards as a Saint, averaging 4.6 per carry and scoring 28 touchdowns. He added 327 receptions for another 2,608 yards and 12 scores. Without the contributions of Thomas during the 2009-10 postseason, the Saints most likely would not have won Super Bowl XLIV.
Pierre Thomas ranks sixth in team history for rushing yardage. Only Alvin Kamara has more catches or yards in franchise history from the running back position. Thomas accomplished all this despite being in a shared backfield throughout his career. In 2018, Thomas was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame.
Marshon Lattimore became the highest drafted player by the Saints to wear No. 23 as the 11th overall choice in the 2017 NFL draft. Lattimore was an instant sensation, winning the 2017 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after 5 interceptions is 18 passes broken up. During a stretch of his eight years with the Saints, he was the NFL's top shutdown corner, oftentimes shadowing an opponent's top wideout.
Lattimore earned four Pro Bowls over his first five seasons. He had 15 interceptions with the Saints, breaking up an astounding 88 throws and recovering 5 fumbles. Lattimore often affected games just with his ability to take the opposition's best weapon out of the game plan. His 97 games are the second most by any Saint to wear No. 23. While his New Orleans career came to an end with a 2024 trade to Washington, it's a career that will most certainly end with an induction into the Saints Hall of Fame.