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Our countdown to the 2026 New Orleans Saints season opener starts today. The Saints will kick off their year with a road trip to face the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Sept. 13. Wearing No. 99 for New Orleans is edge rusher Chase Young, one of the most important players on the team's defense. Here is the full history of every New Orleans player to ever wear that number during the regular season.
Elliott was the first player to wear 99 for the Saints. As a fifth round choice in 1982, he was obviously the first New Orleans draft pick to wear the number. He'd play his entire seven-year career in New Orleans, compiling 13 sacks. Elliott's 84 games in No. 99 is the longest tenure of any Saint to wear this jersey number.
Smeenge, a third round choice in 1990, is the highest drafted player by New Orleans to wear No. 99. He wore it for five seasons and 72 games. Broughton would finish out the last two years of his career in New Orleans, recording 4 sacks in 30 games. Sagapolutele and Mickell each wore 99 for a year before Norman Hand came on board in 2000. In numerous ways, Hand was a huge part of arguably the most talented defensive line in franchise history. Over 44 games, Hand had 9 sacks with 21 stops for loss and provided smothering run defense.
After Hand left in 2003, there was a string of seven players to wear a 99 jersey over the next 15 years. Only one, Hollis Thomas, wore it for more than one season. Thomas was a solid interior defender for his three seasons as a Saint, compiling 9 sacks and 21 stops for loss. Undrafted Shy Tuttle came on in 2019 to re-establish some longevity to the number. Tuttle was with New Orleans for four years and 63 games. He didn't fill up a stat sheet, having only 4 sacks and 9 tackles for loss, but was often a standout run defender. Tuttle also provided one of the most lasting memories in Saints history on Thanksgiving night of 2019 with an acrobatic interception against the Falcons and subsequent stiff-arm of Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan during the return. Fan favorite Khalen Saunders followed Tuttle in the number 99, but did little during his one year in the jersey and two with the team.
Chase Young was brought in as a free agent during the 2024 offseason, also causing Saunders to switch jersey numbers. Young was solid but unspectacular in his first year, but emerged as a defensive force after a contract extension last offseason. His 10 sacks, 15 QB hits, 30 pressures, and 11 stops for loss were the best combined production of his career, making him a centerpiece for the defense in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 99 days until Saints opener: Every player to wear the No. 99 jersey
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Saints History of No. 99
- DT Tony Elliott (1982-88)
- DE Joel Smeenge (1990-94)
- DT Willie Broughton (1995-96)
- DT Pio Sagapolutele (1997)
- DE Darren Mickell (1999)
- DT Norman Hand (2000-02)
- DT Kenderick Allen (2003)
- DT Shaun Smith (2004)
- DT Hollis Thomas (2006-08)
- DE Jimmy Wilkerson (2010)
- DT Aubrayo Franklin (2011)
- DE Paul Kruger (2016)
- LB Adam Bighill (2017)
- DT Shy Tuttle (2019-22)
- DT Khalen Saunders (2023)
- DE Chase Young (2024-current)
Elliott was the first player to wear 99 for the Saints. As a fifth round choice in 1982, he was obviously the first New Orleans draft pick to wear the number. He'd play his entire seven-year career in New Orleans, compiling 13 sacks. Elliott's 84 games in No. 99 is the longest tenure of any Saint to wear this jersey number.
Smeenge, a third round choice in 1990, is the highest drafted player by New Orleans to wear No. 99. He wore it for five seasons and 72 games. Broughton would finish out the last two years of his career in New Orleans, recording 4 sacks in 30 games. Sagapolutele and Mickell each wore 99 for a year before Norman Hand came on board in 2000. In numerous ways, Hand was a huge part of arguably the most talented defensive line in franchise history. Over 44 games, Hand had 9 sacks with 21 stops for loss and provided smothering run defense.
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After Hand left in 2003, there was a string of seven players to wear a 99 jersey over the next 15 years. Only one, Hollis Thomas, wore it for more than one season. Thomas was a solid interior defender for his three seasons as a Saint, compiling 9 sacks and 21 stops for loss. Undrafted Shy Tuttle came on in 2019 to re-establish some longevity to the number. Tuttle was with New Orleans for four years and 63 games. He didn't fill up a stat sheet, having only 4 sacks and 9 tackles for loss, but was often a standout run defender. Tuttle also provided one of the most lasting memories in Saints history on Thanksgiving night of 2019 with an acrobatic interception against the Falcons and subsequent stiff-arm of Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan during the return. Fan favorite Khalen Saunders followed Tuttle in the number 99, but did little during his one year in the jersey and two with the team.
Chase Young was brought in as a free agent during the 2024 offseason, also causing Saunders to switch jersey numbers. Young was solid but unspectacular in his first year, but emerged as a defensive force after a contract extension last offseason. His 10 sacks, 15 QB hits, 30 pressures, and 11 stops for loss were the best combined production of his career, making him a centerpiece for the defense in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 99 days until Saints opener: Every player to wear the No. 99 jersey
Continue reading...
