Tag: jersey number

What jersey number will Marshon Lattimore wear for Commanders?

Marshon Lattimore will wear a familiar number for Washington.

Marshon Lattimore has worn No. 23 since entering the NFL ahead of the 2017 season. Lattimore spent the first 7.5 seasons of his career with the New Orleans Saints, where he was a former NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and a four-time Pro Bowler.

On Tuesday, the Saints traded Lattimore to the Washington Commanders. However, the Commanders already have someone wearing No. 23: second-year running back Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Rodriguez, who began this season on the practice squad, has been elevated to the 53-man roster three times and played a pivotal role in Sunday’s win over the Giants. Rodriguez ran for a team-high 52 yards and was on the field throughout the fourth quarter.

So, while Rodriguez has the number, he’s not stopping the newly acquired Pro Bowl cornerback from getting it. The Commanders announced that Lattimore will wear No. 23.

As for Rodriguez, he spoke to Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post and explained why giving up the number was no big deal.

It’s easy to see why this team is so close. Everyone buys into head coach Dan Quinn’s team-first mindset. Rodriguez has proven that this season, which is evident in his decision to give up his number.

4 new Broncos players pick their jersey numbers

New Broncos players OL Dieter Eiselen (70), OT Cam Fleming (71), WR Kaden Davis (81) and WR A.T. Perry (87) picked their jersey numbers.

The Denver Broncos had a busy week making changes to the practice squad, bringing in four new players. Those new arrivals have now picked their jersey numbers.

Broncos center/guard Dieter Eiselen picked No. 70, which hasn’t been worn by a Denver player in a regular season game since former tackle Bobby Massie in 2021.

Returning tackle Cam Fleming picked No. 71, the number he wore with the New England Patriots to begin his career. He later switched to No. 75 with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants and then wore No. 73 with the Broncos from 2021-2023.

Returning wide receiver Kaden Davis picked No. 81, which was previously worn by receiver Tre’Quan Smith last fall and by Tim Patrick before that.

New receiver A.T. Perry picked No. 87, which was famously worn by former receiver Ed McCaffrey and most recently worn by receiver David Sills.

Broncos players pick jersey numbers

  • OL Dieter Eiselen: 70
  • OT Cam Fleming: 71
  • WR Kaden Davis: 81
  • WR A.T. Perry: 87

Denver’s 17-player practice squad is now full.

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Countdown to Kickoff: Willie Gay Jr. is the Saints Player of Day 6

With only six days remaining to the Saints’ Week 1 kickoff, our player of the day is Willie Gay Jr.

We have only six days remaining until the New Orleans Saints Week 1 kickoff against the Carolina Panthers, making today’s player of the day Willie Gay Jr, the current wearer of the No. 6 jersey. With the linebacker core shifting for 2024, the new addition for New Orleans has a chance to take snaps away from Pete Werner, among others.

Let’s take a look at the background of Gay Jr. before looking into what we can expect from him in the 2024 season.

  • Name (Age): Willie Gay Jr. (26)
  • Position: Linebacker
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-1, 243 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 9.70
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $3,000,000
  • College: Mississippi State
  • Drafted: Round 2 Pick 63 (Kansas City Chiefs)
  • NFL experience: 5th season

The Saints have made a solid few additions this offseason in hopes of solidifying their team both with starters and depth, Willie Gay Jr. is somewhere in the middle. Initially, he was viewed as a starting candidate who would receive significant snaps after a somewhat down season for Pete Werner and a tough start to camp. However, an improvement later in camp and an extension have vaulted Werner back into starting contention, which makes the linebacking unit extremely intriguing as the Saints typically only run two linebackers on the field at one time. Presumably, we can expect both Werner and Gay Jr. to get playing time in different scenarios, which is why both are viewed so highly alongside Demario Davis.

Gay Jr. is coming off a somewhat down season, as well, having only 58 total tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, four pass deflections and an interception. However, he did also have three fumble recoveries and a career-best 76.4 passer rating allowed when targeted. His success in pass defense as well as impact plays was not noted statistically, but he did receive a career high in defensive snaps with 624 played, as well as a career high 15 games started. We will see what scenarios he plays in come the 2024 season given these scenarios.

Countdown to Kickoff: Taysom Hill is the Saints Player of Day 7

With only seven days remaining to the Saints’ Week 1 kickoff, our player of the day is Taysom Hill

We are down to only seven days remaining until the New Orleans Saints open their 2024 regular season against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, which makes today’s player of the day Taysom Hill, the current wearer of the No. 7. Hill has been a staple of the Saints’ offense for the past few years, and with the new offensive scheme coming with Klint Kubiak, he may see more touches than ever before.

To start off, here is some background on Hill before we get into what we can expect from him in 2024.

  • Name (Age): Taysom Hill (34)
  • Position/s: Running back, Tight end, fullback, quarterback, special teams gunner
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-2, 220 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 9.60
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $9,196,500
  • College: BYU
  • Drafted: Undrafted in 2017 (Green Bay Packers)
  • NFL experience: 8th season

Hill has been an extremely critical component to the Saints, playing in 97 games for them across seven seasons, starting 41, and accruing 2,159 rushing yards, 27 rushing touchdowns, 76 receptions for 756 yards and 11 touchdowns, and 191 passing completions for 2,348 yards and 8 touchdowns. On top of all of that, he has had 1,148 snaps on special teams in that span of time.

The part that makes this even more interesting is his usage has been somewhat minimized by Pete Carmichael in recent years, especially in the year since Sean Payton left who utilized him as much as possible. However, now we have Kubiak at OC, and he has been utilizing Hill at fullback throughout training camp on top of his prior obligations. With Kubiak’s experience with Kyle Juszczyk, one of if not the best fullback in the NFL with great utilization, Hill may be in for some fun new play-calls heading his way. With little to no competition for his snaps due to his unique positional value, he will likely be in for another year of quality production.

Countdown to Kickoff: Roderic Teamer is Saints Player of Day 30

Looking into safety Roderic Teamer, who wears the No. 30 jersey, with just 30 days ahead of the New Orleans Saints’ 2024 season kickoff:

The countdown to kickoff for the Saints’ 2024 regular season continues, now just 30 days out from the official opener. And, in recognition of that, we’re taking the time to highlight former Tulane defensive back Roderic Teamer. He currently wears the No. 30 jersey.

Here’s everything to know about the safety who took the field in college for the Green Wave, now continuing his professional career in the same city of New Orleans:

  • Name (Age): Roderic Teamer (27)
  • Position: Safety
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-0, 205 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 3.66
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $985,000
  • College: Tulane
  • Drafted: Undrafted in 2019 (Los Angeles Chargers)
  • NFL experience: 5th season

Teamer went unselected in the 2019 NFL Draft, signed by the Los Angeles Chargers on April 27, 2019. He made his NFL debut on September 22, 2019 against the Houston Texans, recording seven tackles at the strong safety position.

He lasted just one season with the team, though, amassing 40 combined tackles (30 solo), two passes defended, one sack and an interception over six games.

Teamer has been something of a journeyman since then, making stops in with the Indianapolis Colts (2021) and the Las Vegas Raiders (2021-2023) before making his way to the Saints, who signed him on June 20.

He was waived by the Raiders, the team he was most recently with, on Nov. 27. This came just days after he was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) and speeding on Nov. 25.

Teamer rejoins several of his former Raiders teammates with the move to New Orleans, including quarterback Derek Carr as well as tight end Foster Moreau, safety Johnathan Abram, defensive tackle Kendal Vickers, and offensive tackle Justin Herron, who is on injured reserve.

Over his career to this point, Teamer has totaled 103 tackles (72 solo), 3 passes defended, 1 sack and 1 interception over 40 games played.

It will be interesting to see what type of role he carves out with the Saints in his first season returning to the same state where it all started for him.

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Countdown to Kickoff: Charlie Smyth is the Saints Player of Day 39

We continue our daily countdown of days remaining to the Saints Week 1 kickoff and the corresponding jersey numbers with No. 39, kicker Charlie Smyth.

The 2024 NFL season is getting closer to being a reality for fans, as we have only 39 days left until the New Orleans Saints Week 1 bout against the Carolina Panthers. As we continue to count down the days until this first matchup for the Saints, we will look at the corresponding jersey number to the remaining days, which today is kicker Charlie Smyth, who comes to the Saints from Northern Ireland.

Smyth takes over the number from Lou Hedley who held it last season, and the number has a relatively long history, with it’s most notable wearer being former defensive back Brett Maxie, a quality player for the Saints back in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

With that said, let’s take a look at Smyth’s background up to this point, as well as what we should or can expect from him this upcoming season.

  • Name (Age): Charlie Smyth (22)
  • Position: Kicker
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-4, 210 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: N/A
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $795,000
  • College: St Colman’s College & St Mary’s University College
  • Drafted: Signed via NFL International Pathway Program
  • NFL experience: Rookie

Charlie Smyth is one of the more intriguing players on the Saints roster this upcoming season, as he was signed to the team this offseason through the International Pathway Program. He signed a three-year contract with the Saints in March after competing at the NFL Scouting Combine where he hit 12 of 16 field goal tries, and made 8 of 10 at his pro day with one connecting from 60 yards out.

He previously played Gaelic football for the Down County team, as well as the Down’s Ulster Under-20 championship team. Gaelic football is somewhat of a cross between American football and rugby, but Smyth’s skillset there as a goalkeeper led to him hoping to get an NFL tryout as early as July 2019. He will be competing with last year’s placekicker Blake Grupe, who certainly had his struggles as a rookie. We will see where the position battle takes us, but as of right now, Smyth has a phenomenal opportunity to win a starting job in the NFL.

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Countdown to Kickoff: Zander Horvath is the Saints Player of Day 40

We continue our daily countdown to the Saints Week 1 kickoff with No. 40. Fullback Zander Horvath is the Saints Player of the Day:

The New Orleans Saints Week 1 matchup with the Carolina Panthers is getting closer and closer, with only 40 days remaining until this divisional tilt. As we continue to count down the days until that first matchup for the Saints, we look at the corresponding jersey number to that amount of days remaining, which today is fullback Zander Horvath.

The number has had some quality players tied to it across Saints history, with Delvin Breaux, Robert Massey, and Terry Schmidt all being notable users of the No. 40 jersey.

With that said, let’s take a look at Horvath’s career so far, his background, and what we may be able to expect from him this upcoming 2024 season.

  • Name (Age): Zander Horvath (25)
  • Position: Fullback
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-3, 230 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 9.83
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $915,000
  • College: Purdue
  • Drafted: Round 7, Pick 260 (Los Angeles Chargers)
  • NFL experience: 2 seasons

Horvath is an intriguing addition for the Saints, as he was exceptionally talented throughout his high school years and was a solid contributor throughout his collegiate career at Purdue. As we all know, the Saints love players with high Relative Athletic Scores, or more specifically those who have good physical attributes and are extremely athletically gifted, which Horvath was scoring a 9.83 out of a possible 10.00 in RAS.

Fullback is most definitely a position of need, as the Saints always like to keep one on the roster for 3rd and short or 4th and short situations. In recent years there was Adam Prentice and Alex Armah, with Prentice still remaining with the Saints. Prentice has had a rough go of things in recent games, having a fumble, dropped pass, and slow blocking plan in the span of seven days, which caused him to lose favor with Saints fans relatively quickly.

The addition of Horvath this March shows that there will most definitely be competition for the spot, and it could be an intriguing battle of longevity with the team in Prentice versus athletic prowess in Horvath. But don’t overlook Taysom Hill’s ability to disrupt that competition, too.

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Countdown to Kickoff: Khalen Saunders is the Saints Player of Day 50

Khalen Saunders is wearing a new jersey number in 2024. He’s the New Orleans Saints Player of Day 50 in our Countdown to Kickoff:

Khalen Saunders is wearing a new jersey number in 2024. He’s the New Orleans Saints Player of Day 50 in our countdown to kickoff in Week 1’s matchup with the Carolina Panthers. Saunders wore No. 99 last year, his first season with the Saints, but he’s switching to No. 50 since Chase Young joined the team and took it from him.

What does a successful season look like for Saunders? Let’s put him under the spotlight in today’s feature.

  • Name (Age): Khalen Saunders (27)
  • Position: Defensive tackle
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-0, 324 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 7.59
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $4,400,000
  • College: Western Illinois
  • Drafted: Round 3 in 2019 (Kansas City Chiefs)
  • NFL experience: 6 years

Saunders’ first season with the Saints could be characterized as good, not great. He didn’t have a sack but he did post the second-most quarterback pressures of his career (14), which is solid for a nose tackle. What really held him back was an underwhelming year in run defense. The Saints were vulnerable up the middle and they finished the year with the 11th-most rushing yards allowed. You’d expect a stronger impact from Saunders as a big body playing on running downs.

How can he improve in 2024? Better holding ground when teams run at him while pushing the pocket when given opportunities to make a play is what’s asked of every veteran defensive tackle. With Bryan Bresee looking to take a step forward and Nathan Shepherd on top of the depth chart, Saunders can’t afford to fall behind.

It’s interesting that the Saints restructured Shepherd’s contract, lowering his salary cap hit, but they didn’t do so for Saunders. That might make him expendable if another player steps up like rookie draft pick Khristian Boyd — releasing Saunders would save $1.4 million against the cap, while trading him could free up as much as $3.7 million. Hopefully he does well enough at training camp to where this isn’t a real consideration.

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Commanders QB Jayden Daniels has a message for Washington fans

Moments after it became official that he’d wear No. 5, Jayden Daniels had a message for fans.

It became official on Thursday night: Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels will wear the No. 5 jersey.

Punter Tress Way has worn the No. 5 since 2014 and voluntarily gave Daniels the number ahead of Washington’s rookie minicamp, which begins Friday in Ashburn.

With Daniels now wearing No. 5, Way will wear a new number in 2024. Fans who wanted to buy a Daniels jersey can now do so without wondering which number he will wear.

The Commanders officially released a video of Way acknowledging he was giving the number to Daniels at 7:46 p.m. ET. Only 10 minutes later, Daniels had a message for Washington fans:

This all comes days after some numbers revealed that Washington struggled to move team merchandise. Some fans blamed the name, others blamed the jerseys, while others acknowledged that if the Commanders became a winner, they should sell more merchandise.

Perhaps Washington needed a franchise quarterback to get behind, and those jerseys would start to sell. Based on how fans reacted on X, Daniels will shoot up the list in individual jersey sales.

 

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels is officially No. 5

Tress Way gives Jayden Daniels the No. 5.

The Washington Commanders open rookie minicamp on Friday. Washington’s rookie class began showing up in Ashburn this week, but there was one piece of unfinished business before the Commanders took the field Friday.

What number would quarterback Jayden Daniels wear? Daniels has always worn No. 5, but that jersey was taken by Washington’s most-tenured player, punter Tress Way.

Not anymore. On Washington’s official X page, Way posted a 15-second video with a No. 5 jersey in the background. However, the jersey’s back did not bear Way’s name. Daniels’ name adorned the back of the jersey, and before the end of the video, the camera shifted to the rookie passer in the background.

According to Zach Selby of commanders.com, Way isn’t giving the number away for free. No, he isn’t taking money from Daniels. Instead, Way may have the rookie quarterback get him some tickets for the first LSU/Oklahoma game now that Way’s Sooners are in the SEC.

To be clear, Way is not giving the jersey away for free. He doesn’t want money, but he did come up with “a couple cool ideas” for what he and Daniels could do for the swap. His alma mater, Oklahoma, is going to be in the SEC, so he suggested that perhaps he could get tickets to the first LSU-Oklahoma game. He also brought up the possibility of having fans submit pictures of them wearing Way’s old number to the team so Daniels could buy them a jersey with Way’s new number on it and a personal letter from Way himself.