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13 days until Saints opener: Every player to wear the No. 13 jersey
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- 13 days until Saints opener: Every player to wear the No. 13 jersey
Monday means there are only 13 days before the New Orleans Saints officially open their 2026 regular season. New Orleans travels north to open up the year when they play at the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Sept. 13. There have been only eight players issued the No. 13 in the history of the New Orleans franchise. We take a look at each of them in our ongoing countdown to kickoff series.
Saints History of No. 13
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QB Larry Cipa (1974-75)
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QB Doug Nussmeier (1996-97)
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QB Kerry Collins (1998)
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WR Joe Morgan (2012, 2013-15)
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WR Michael Thomas (2016-23)
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WR Equanimeous St. Brown (2024)
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WR Ja'Lynn Polk (2025)
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WR Velus Jones (2025)
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QB Hunter Dekkers (2026)
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Larry Cipa was the first to wear No. 13 for New Orleans and also the first Saints draft choice to wear it. A Round 15 selection in 1974, Cipa was a backup quarterback for two seasons. He appeared in eight games, making three starts with a 1-2 record. Cipa had a completion percentage of 37%, throwing for 424 yards with a touchdown and 3 interceptions. After Cipa, it would take over two decades before another New Orleans player would wear a No. 13 jersey.
Doug Nussmeier was a fourth-round choice by the Saints in the 1994 NFL draft. Nussmeier would be with the team for four years, but wouldn't appear in a game until 1996 and played in just five games over that year and the next. He'd make two starts with an 0-2 record out of those five contests, throwing for a total of 455 yards with a touchdown and 3 interceptions on a 56.1% completion percentage. Nussmeier has been an offensive assistant coach at the NFL or college level since 2003 and is entering his second year as the Saints offensive coordinator.
Kerry Collins had a productive 17-year NFL career that began with the Carolina Panthers and included an NFC championship with the New York Giants . In between that was a forgettable one-year stint with the Saints. Collins was picked up after being released by Carolina in 1998, starting seven games for New Orleans with a 2-5 record. As part of coach Mike Ditka's ridiculous quarterback carousel, Collins had a 49.2% completion percentage while throwing for 1,202 yards with 4 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 21: Safety Mark Barron #24 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers attempts to tackle receiver Joseph Morgan #13 of the New Orleans Saints during the game at Raymond James Stadium on October 14, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)
After Collins, Joseph Morgan would be the next Saints player to wear No. 13 in 2012. Morgan was a lethal deep threat his first year with the Saints, gaining 379 yards and scoring 3 times on only 10 receptions. After that, a series of personal issues and a deep receiving corps limited Morgan to only seven games and 4 catches the rest of his career. Still, his 21 games is the second most of any New Orleans player to wear No. 13.
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A Round 2 choice from the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2016 NFL draft, Michael Thomas is the highest-drafted player by the Saints to wear a No. 13 jersey. His 83 games are also the most by far of anyone to wear the number. Thomas had a historic start to his career that has him holding several spots in the New Orleans record books and a few places in the NFL record books.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 24: Michael Thomas #13 of the New Orleans Saints and Cameron Jordan #94 celebrate a win against the Carolina Panthers after a game at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on November 24, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Nobody in NFL history had more catches or receiving yards than Thomas did over his first four seasons. In that span, he had a yearly average of 117.5 receptions and 1,378 yards. He led the league in catches twice and yardage once, winning the 2019 Offensive Player of the Year award while setting a lengthy list of team records for single game and season production. In 2019, Thomas had 149 catches to set an NFL single-season record.
Unfortunately, foot injuries that began in 2020 caused Thomas to have a rapid physical deterioration. Between 2020 and his final year with the Saints in 2023, Thomas was only able to suit up in 20 of a possible 67 games and was a shadow of his once-dominant self. A career that started with a probable spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame should still see Thomas someday in the Saints Hall of Fame. His 573 career receptions are third in franchise history, with his 6,569 receiving yards ranking fourth.
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Equanimeous St. Brown was a far cry from Michael Thomas when it came to production or impact when he succeeded him in the No. 13 jersey. St. Brown appeared in only two games and did not record a catch. Velus Jones Jr. saw action in only five games for the Saints in 2025 as a kick returner, but did not record a catch or rushing attempt. Ja'Lynn Polk was issued the 13 uniform when New Orleans acquired him in a 2025 September trade, but spent all of the season on injured reserve and abruptly announced his retirement early into 2026 training camp.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 13 days until Saints opener: Every player to wear the No. 13 jersey
