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Saints Countdown To NFL Kickoff With The History Of Number 86

Saints Countdown To NFL Kickoff With The History Of Number 86 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. We sit 86 days away from the 2025 regular season opener for the New Orleans Saints. The Saints will take on the Arizona Cardinals to kick off their 59th NFL season, first under new head coach Kellen Moore. Advertisement Tight end Michael Jacobson is currently wearing number 86 for the Saints. He's spent two years on the team's practice squad but has yet to see any regular season action. A former college basketball star, Jacobson faces a stiff battle for a roster spot this offseason. Here's a look at all players who have worn 86 for the Saints during a regular season game. Saints History of 86 New Orleans Saints wide receiver Jubilee Dunbar (86) makes a catch against the Chicago Bears in 1973. Credit: Pinterest • Tom Hall, WR (1967) • Daniel Colchico, DE (1969) • Creston Whitaker, WR (1972) • Jubilee Dunbar, WR (1973) • Richard Williams, WR (1974) • Dave Davis, WR (1974) • Melvin Baker, WR (1975) • Jim Thaxton, TE (1976-77) • Tom Donovan, WR (1980) Advertisement • Rich Martini, WR (1981) • Rich Caster, TE (1981) • Jeff Groth, WR (1982-85) • Mike Jones, WR (1986-87) • Vic Harrison, WR (1987) • Cliff Benson, TE (1988) • Rod Harris, WR (1989) • Gerald Alphin, WR (1990-91) • Louis Lipps, WR (1992) • Marcus Dowdell, WR (1992) • Pat Newman, WR (1991-93) • Kurt Botkin, TE (1994-95) • Tony Johnson, TE (1996-97) • Gunnard Twyner, WR (1997) • Sean Dawkins, WR (1998) • Kendall Gammon, LS/TE (1999) • Jake Reed, WR (2000, 2002) • Walter Rasby, TE (2003) • Zachary Hilton, TE (2005) • John Owens, TE (2006-07) • Buck Ortega, TE (2008-09) • Chris Manhertz, TE (2016) • John Phillips, TE (2016-17) Advertisement • Jason Vander Laan, TE (2019) • Ethan Wolf, TE (2021) • J.P. Holtz, TE (2023) • Michael Jacobson, TE (present) Dec 12, 1982; FILE PHOTO; New Orleans Saints receiver Jeff Groth (86) makes a catch against the Atlanta Falcons. Mandatory Credit: Manny Rubio-Imagn Images There have been 36 players to wear number 86 for the Saints. Of that list, 23 of them wore it for one season or less and only two wore it for more than two seasons. The first to sport the number was Tom Hall, who caught passes for yards 19 passes for 249 yards during the first Saints season in 1967. Jubilee Dunbar was the first No. 86 to score a touchdown for New Orleans, pulling in 23 receptions for 447 yards and 4 touchdowns in 1973. It wasn't until 1976 and seven different players had worn 86 until someone did it for more than one year. In two seasons as a Saint, Jim Thaxton had 21 catches for 323 yards and two scores. New Orleans Saints wide receiver Jake Reed catches a pass during a 2002 game against the Detroit Lions. Credit: SB Nation After 11 players donned 86, the Saints finally had a player to do it for more than two years when Jeff Groth did it in the early 1980s. Groth actually played for the Saints from 1981 to 1985, switching from No. 48 in his first year to 86 for the final four. Advertisement While in 86, Groth caught 127 passes for 1,693 yards and scored four times. With his four years and 53 games for the Saints in No. 86, Groth remains the longest-tenured and most productive Saint to wear that jersey. Jones was a quietly productive member of the New Orleans offense for two seasons. He led the 1986 squad with 48 catches and had 75 receptions for 1,045 yards and 6 scores in 28 games wearing No. 86. Pat Newman is the only Saints player other than Groth to wear 86 for more than two seasons. Newman played in 33 games, also second to Groth, but had just 14 receptions for 175 yards and one score. New Orleans Saints wide receiver Mike Jones (86) catches a touchdown pass in a 1987 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Credit: Through the 1980s and 1990s, the Saints had a habit of bringing in players who were well past their prime. Three wideouts that wore 86 for New Orleans perfectly embodied this problem in Louis Lipps, Sean Dawkins, and Jake Reed. Advertisement Unlike Lipps, Dawkins was fairly productive in his one-year stint for New Orleans. He led the 1998 Saints with 823 receiving yards, catching 55 balls to finish second on the team. Dawkins' yardage output would be the second highest of his nine-year career in the NFL. After starring with the Minnesota Vikings for the first 10 years of his career, Reed played two of his last three seasons in New Orleans. He appeared in 21 regular season games, the fourth most by a Saints player wearing 86. In three years with the Saints, Reed had 37 receptions for 566 yards and 3 touchdowns. His last NFL season was with the Saints in 2003. Since Reed, nine different players have worn number 86 in a regular season game for the Saints. Only John Owens (13 games) and John Phillips (9 games), and Buck Ortega (12 games) have worn the jersey for more than one year. Related: Saints Countdown To Kickoff With The History Of Number 89 Related: Saints Countdown To Kickoff With The History Of Number 94 Related: Saints To Bring In Veteran Running Back For Minicamp Tryout Related: Derek Carr Further Explains Retirement Decision From New Orleans Saints Related: Trevor Penning May Have A New Home On Saints Offensive Line This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.