Jermon Bushrod – Syndication Server

74 days until Saints season opener: Every player to wear No. 74 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 74 days away.

We’ll be counting down the days until kickoff by looking back on every Saints player who wore the corresponding jersey number.

Former Saints defensive lineman Derland Moore (1973-1985) wore No. 74 well for a long time as one of the team’s first star players in their early days, and in the modern era it was prominently used by offensive lineman Jermon Bushrod (2007-2012, 2018). It currently belongs to James Hurst (with the team since 2020), a versatile starter at both tackle and guard. 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:

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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Former Saints starters Jermon Bushrod, Sterling Moore join staff as coaching interns

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Two new (but familiar) faces are patrolling the sidelines in New Orleans Saints training camp: Jermon Bushrod and Sterling Moore, who each played for the club before hanging up their cleats. Both former Saints players have returned to join Sean Payton’s staff as coaching interns this summer.

Bushrod, 36, last played for the Saints in 2018 after spending a few years with the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins. Before he took that detour, he helped the Saints win Super Bowl XLIV as their starting left tackle and was teammates with Zach Strief, now New Orleans’ assistant offensive line coach.

And Moore, 31, joined the Saints secondary from 2016 to 2017. The cornerback played for seven different NFL teams in his eight-year career and was also signed by teams in the short-lived AAF and rebooted XFL, though now his focus is on coaching. He’ll work with new defensive backs coach Kris Richard.

It’s cool to see former players continuing their football careers with a turn to coaching in New Orleans. Here’s hoping they both find ways to help the team out moving forward.

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