In only 2 days, the New Orleans Saints will officially kick off their 2026 season. The Saints will do so with an away clash at the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Sept. 13. Backup quarterback Spencer Rattler will wear No. 2 for New Orleans as he enters his third season. Rattler is only the seventh in franchise history to wear the number. Our countdown to kickoff series rolls on with a look at all seven.
Saints History of No. 2
- K Chip Lohmiller (1995)
- QB Aaron Brooks (2000-05)
- K Olindo Mare (2007)
- K John Kasay (2011)
- K Zack Hocker (2015)
- QB Jameis Winston (2020-23)
- QB Spencer Rattler (2025-current)
After a standout seven years with the Washington Redskins to start his career, Chip Lohmiller was the first to ever suit up in a No. 2 for New Orleans in 1995. It was a disaster. Lohmiller lasted just eight games as a Saint, missing two extra points and converting an embarrassing 57% of his field goals. He was the first of four kickers to wear No. 2 in New Orleans,
and probably the worst.
During the 2000 offseason, the Saints made a trade with the Green Bay Packers to acquire second-year backup quarterback Aaron Brooks. Eleven games into the 2000 season, Brooks finally threw his first NFL pass when he relieved injured New Orleans starter Jeff Blake. Brooks started the last five games of the year, leading the team to a 3-2 mark heading into the playoffs. He then threw for 266 yards and 4 scores in the wild-card round as the Saints defeated the defending Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams for the franchise's first ever postseason victory.
Brooks held off Blake for the starting job in 2001 and held it until 2005. His 85 games are by far the most by any player to wear No. 2 for the Saints. Blake had a 38-44 record as a starter, completing 56.4% of his throws for 19,156 yards with 120 touchdowns and 84 interceptions. In 2002, he surpassed Jim Everett's single-season franchise record for touchdown passes until the arrival of Drew Brees. Brooks stands second in Saints history for career touchdown passes and third in passing yardage. In 2014, Brooks was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame.
Like Chip Lohmiller, Olindo Mare joined the Saints after a productive career elsewhere. Mare came to New Orleans in 2007 after 10 years with the Miami Dolphins. He turned out to have a better New Orleans stint than Lohmiller, but not by much. Mare played one season for the team, making every extra point but converting just 58.8% of his field goal attempts.
John Kasay had a prolific 20-year NFL career, with his last year in 2011 coming with the Saints. Kasay was signed after a preseason injury to Garrett Hartley. He was the beneficiary of kicking for one of NFL history's most prolific offenses. Kasay holds the Saints single-season record for total points (147) and extra points (63) set that year, as he also converted 28 of 34 (82.4%) of his field goal attempts.
A longtime rival with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jameis Winston joined the Saints in 2020 as a backup to Drew Brees. When Brees retired after that season, Winston won the starting job the following year. He got off the a strong start in the 2021 season opener, throwing for 5 touchdowns. While a bit inconsistent over that year's first portion, he did help the team to a 5-2 mark with 15 touchdowns and just 3 interceptions. Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury against the Buccaneers in Week 8 that knocked him out the rest of the year.
Winston returned the following year, leading a stirring comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in the season opener. Again, injuries forced him to the sideline in Week 4, then coach Dennis Allen kept him on the sidelines in favor of Andy Dalton. Derek Carr was brought in to be the starter in 2023, relegating Winston to backup duties. He would relieve an injured Carr in three games with mixed results. As a Saint, Winston had a 59.9% completion percentage for 2,367 yards with 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Rattler wore No. 18 as a rookie in 2024 before switching to the 2 jersey last season. He'd start the first eight games of 2025 with little success before the Saints wisely turned to rookie Tyler Shough. Rattler's experience in the system is a plus but his inability to push the ball downfield or read defenses is not. Nevertheless, he'll likely be the backup to Shough for at least 2026.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 2 days until Saints opener: Every player to wear the No. 2 jersey
