Tag: Jahri Evans

Jahri Evans is a Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist for the Class of 2024

Former Saints great Jahri Evans is a Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist for the Class of 2024. The right guard earned many accolades in New Orleans:

Will this be his year? Former New Orleans Saints right guard Jahri Evans is a Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist for the Class of 2024, the Hall announced Tuesday. Evans is one of 25 modern-era semifinalists, along with first-timers Antonio Gates, Julius Peppers, and Tiki Barber. He also reached this stage in 2023, his first year of eligibility.

The right guard earned many accolades in New Orleans: six Pro Bowl appearances; four placements on the All-Pro first team; and a coveted spot on the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-Decade team for the 2010s. Evans won a championship ring in Super Bowl XLIV with the Saints and has joined the team’s coaching staff in his post-playing career.

We’ll have to wait and see if Evans’ resume is strong enough to set him apart from his peers. The list of 15 modern-era player finalists will be announced in the weeks ahead, with the Class of 2024 selected in February. Stay tuned.

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Former Saints Pro Bowl center Max Unger nominated for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Former Saints Pro Bowl center Max Unger has been nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility:

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its list of 173 modern-era nominees for its 2024 class on Tuesday, and one former New Orleans Saints player was brought up as a first-time honoree in his first year of eligibility: Max Unger.

Unger, 37, retired on his own terms after the 2018 season having accomplished a lot in the NFL. Before joining the Saints in the landmark 2015 Jimmy Graham trade, Unger earned All-Pro recognition and two Pro Bowl trips with the Seattle Seahawks — with whom he also won a Super Bowl ring. He played at a high level in New Orleans and was selected for a third Pro Bowl appearance in 2018, his last year in the league before choosing to hang up his cleats.

So does he have a real chance at earning a bronze bust in Canton? Unger is a long shot. Just seven centers have been inducted to the Hall of Fame, and Pro Football Reference research found on average they’ve logged five All-Pro teams and eight Pro Bowl appearances. That’s a very high bar which Unger doesn’t quite meet.

He isn’t the only former Saints player on this year’s list of nominees, though. Unger’s old teammate Jahri Evans is returning for another shot after he reached the semifinalist stage last season. With Drew Brees eligible for Hall of Fame induction in 2026, there’s a good chance one of his former blockers will be waiting for him in Canton.

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73 days until Saints season opener: Every player to wear No. 73 for New Orleans

73 days until Saints season opener: Every player to wear No. 73 for New Orleans

The New Orleans Saints will kick off their 2023 regular season against the Tennessee Titans at home in the Caesars Superdome on Sept. 10, which is now 73 days away. We’ll be counting down the days until kickoff by looking back on every Saints player who wore the corresponding jersey number.

In other words, it’s Jahri Evans Day. The six-time Pro Bowl right guard earned a spot on the Hall of Fame’s All-2010s Team as well as four spots on the All-Pro first team, and it’s led to some strong arguments in his favor now that he’s eligible for Hall of Fame induction. He’s by far the biggest name to ever wear No. 73 for the Saints, but here’s the full list from Pro Football Reference:

Every New Orleans Saints fourth-round pick since 2002

Looking back on every New Orleans Saints fourth-round pick since 2002, from Jahri Evans and Jermon Bushrod to Khairi Fortt, Rick Leonard, and Ian Book:

We’re continuing our survey of the New Orleans Saints draft history with a look back at the many players the team has picked in the fourth round since Mickey Loomis was named general manager back in 2002 — a group that includes Pro Bowl talents like Jahri Evans and Jermon Bushrod, as well as some big misses like Ian Book, Rick Leonard, and Khairi Fortt. But the Saints have found many quality players in this range. Let’s run through the list.

You can also find the Loomis-era Saints draft picks in our previous entries from this series:

20 years later, here’s the top picks from each round of Saints drafts under Mickey Loomis

20 years later, here’s the best picks from each round of New Orleans Saints drafts under general manager Mickey Loomis:

The New Orleans Saints have the longest-tenured general manager in the NFL in Mickey Loomis, who has held his post since May 13, 2002 — a span that’s seen 20 NFL drafts come and go under his stewardship. Always eager to trade up and act aggressively on draft day, Loomis has made 24 picks in the first round alone during his run as general manager.

But which picks stand apart as the best? We’ve broken it down round-by-round to highlight the best returns New Orleans has found in the draft under Loomis:

Saints legend Jahri Evans to join Dennis Allen’s coaching staff

Report: New Orleans Saints legend Jahri Evans to join Dennis Allen’s coaching staff, replacing Zach Strief as Doug Marrone’s assistant

This is good to see: Nola.com’s Luke Johnson reports that the New Orleans Saints are adding Jahri Evans to their coaching staff, where Evans will assist offensive line coach Doug Marrone. Evans replaces Zach Strief, who he played next to for most of his 11 years in New Orleans; Strief left for a promotion on Sean Payton’s rebuilding Denver Broncos staff earlier this offseason.

Interestingly, the Saints previously hired former Los Angeles rams offensive line coach Kevin Carberry for the same assistant position working with Marrone. So we’ll see exactly how those day-to-day responsibilities shake out.

Evans first joined the Saints as a coaching intern for training camp last summer, working closely with former first-round draft pick Cesar Ruiz. Ruiz ended up playing his best football of his NFL career, so maybe having an All-Pro right guard advising him is going to be good for his continued development.

When he isn’t busy coaching the next generation of Saints players, Evans will be keeping an eye on his Pro Football Hall of Fame candidacy. He made it to the semifinalist stage in his first year of eligibility, and he’ll be drawing heavy consideration again when voters reconvene later this year. The former Division II prospect out of Bloomsburg in Pennsylvania won a Super Bowl with New Orleans and earned a ton of accolades as a player, including five All-Pro team placements and six Pro Bowl nods. That experience has done a lot to help him start the next chapter in his football life as a coach.

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3 former Saints among first-year eligible candidates for Hall of Fame in 2024

The list of first-year eligible candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024 includes 3 former New Orleans Saints players:

Three former New Orleans Saints players are on the list of potential candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024, including Super Bowl XLIV champion Jermon Bushrod. He’s joined by former Saints center Max Unger and running back Chris Ivory as players who will become eligible for induction next year.

Bushrod started 132 of the 153 games he played in the NFL, including the playoffs, predominately with the Saints (72 starts in 85 games) at left tackle. He was selected for the Pro Bowl in 2011 and 2012 with New Orleans before spending the second leg with the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins, returning to the Saints to close out his career in 2018.

Unger joined the Saints in a 2015 trade with the Seattle Seahawks and rarely missed a snap, starting all 67 games he played for New Orleans (including the postseason) and winning Pro Bowl recognition in 2018, his last year in the NFL. He totaled 142 games in the league between his time with the Saints and Seahawks, including the playoffs, earning three Pro Bowl nods and winning a Super Bowl title in 2013.

Ivory had the briefest Saints career of the bunch, only appearing in 26 games from 2010 to 2012 after being signed as an undrafted free agent by way of Washington State and Tiffin University in Ohio. But he made a quick impression with his powerful running style and big-play ability, which won him a nice contract extension with the New York Jets after being traded in 2013 (where he made the Pro Bowl a few years later). Ivory closed out his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills.

To be frank, all three of these players are long-shots, and they probably won’t make it past the first rounds of discussion. A more realistic candidate is former Saints right guard Jahri Evans who was discussed as a semifinalist in this year’s cycle, and he’ll be in the mix again for the Class of 2023. His resume as a six-time Pro Bowler and four appearances on the All-Pro first team offense speaks for itself. We’ll see if Evans or any of Drew Brees’ former teammates get into the Hall of Fame before No. 9’s own candidacy is brought up in 2026.

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Zach Strief leaves the Saints coaching staff to join Sean Payton’s Broncos

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports Zach Strief is leaving the New Orleans Saints coaching staff to join Sean Payton with the Denver Broncos:

It didn’t take long for Sean Payton to start poaching from his old team. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Zach Strief is leaving the New Orleans Saints coaching staff to join Payton with the Denver Broncos as offensive line coach. Strief worked as an assistant line coach with New Orleans in recent years and he played a big part in the development of young players like Cesar Ruiz, Landon Young, Calvin Throckmorton, Lewis Kidd, and Trevor Penning.

Strief spent his entire career as a player with the Saints and briefly worked in radio covering their games before he joined Payton’s staff. He’s quickly climbed the ranks and is widely respected around the league. It’s a major loss for the organization.

Could the Saints replace one of their former offensive linemen with another? Doug Marrone is their full-time offensive line coach, but he and Strief were joined by Jahri Evans last summer as a training camp coaching intern. If Evans enjoyed the experience and wants to continue his coaching career, it would make sense for the Saints to bring him on as an assistant like Strief. It’s something to watch out for in the days ahead — as is the possibility of Payton siphoning more talent out of New Orleans as he settles in with Denver.

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Jahri Evans is a first-ballot semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023

Legendary Saints right guard Jahri Evans is one of five first-ballot semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023:

Now this is cool. Jahri Evans left his mark on pro football in 11 years at right guard for the New Orleans Saints, and his accomplishments have earned him recognition as one of five first-ballot semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023. He’ll advance to the next stage of voting on finalists in December, with the Class of 2023 announced in February.

And it’s a star-studded group. Evans is joined by iconic pros like former left tackle Joe Thomas, cornerback Darrelle Revis, defensive lineman Dwight Freeney, and linebacker James Harrison as semifinalists who got this far in their first year of eligibility. The other 23 semifinalists have made it to this stage before, and many of them will ultimately make the cut.

Evans has a strong shot at going the distance after earning six consecutive Pro Bowl nods in his playing career, as well as four straight appearances on the Associated Press All-Pro first team list from 2009 to 2012. If his bid is successful, he’ll have become the first player from the Saints’ Super Bowl XLIV-winning squad to be selected for the Hall of Fame. With his old quarterback Drew Brees a sure thing to get in once he’s eligible in 2026, the Saints contingent enshrined in Canton looks to grow in the years ahead.

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Jahri Evans nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023

Legendary Saints right guard and Super Bowl 44 champion Jahri Evans has been nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023:

Now this is cool to see. Legendary New Orleans Saints right guard and Super Bowl XLIV champion Jahri Evans has been nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023, making him the first Saints player from their 2009 title-winning squad with a serious, credible case at being enshrined in Canton. It’ll be a few more years before his Super Bowl-winning teammates like Drew Brees will be eligible for consideration.

Evans, 39, played his last snap in 2017 after being named to six consecutive Pro Bowls and earning four spots on the AP All-Pro first team offense, also being selected for the very exclusive Hall of Fame All-2010’s Team. He joined the Saints for training camp this summer as a coaching intern, working with the offensive line.

Still, stacked as that resume is he’ll face stiff competition with 10 finalists returning from last year’s group and 8 other strong first-year candidates, including former Cleveland Browns left tackle Joe Thomas and cornerback Darrelle Revis, a seven-time Pro Bowler.

Other players nominated for the Class of 2023 who suited up for New Orleans include wide receiver Joe Horn, defensive tackle La’Roi Glover, and linebacker Pat Swilling, among others. The list will be trimmed down from 129 initial nominees to 25 semifinalists in November, with 15 finalists announced in January. Enshrinement will take place next summer.

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