Just 3 days separate us from the New Orleans Saints
regular season opener. New Orleans plays at the Detroit Lions to kick off 2026 on Sunday, Sept. 13. Offseason addition Travis Etienne Jr. will wear the No. 3 for the Saints at running back. Etienne was a free-agent target of the team to upgrade their rushing attack. He'll become the ninth player in franchise history to wear a No. 3 jersey. Here's a look through all who did it.Saints History of No. 3
- K Skip Butler (1971)
- K John Leypoldt (1978)
- QB Bobby Hebert (1985-92)
- P Mark Royals (1997-98)
- K John Carney (2001-06, 2009-10)
- K Shayne Graham (2013-14)
- K Wil Lutz (2016-22)
- QB Jake Haener (2024-25)
- RB Travis Etienne Jr. (current)
Skip Butler wore No. 3 first for New Orleans, appearing in two games with two field goal attempts in 1971. John Leypoldt had a similar fate in 1978, making 2 of 3 field goals and 4 extra points in his two games. They were two of six kickers or punters out of the first seven players who wore No. 3 for the Saints.
Bobby Hebert
came over from the Michigan Panthers and Oakland Invaders of the original USFL in 1985. Hebert solidified the quarterback position for the Saints, helping the franchise to their first ever winning season and playoff appearance in 1987. He started 75 of his 78 games over seven years in New Orleans, turning in a 49-26 record and three trips to the playoffs. Hebert wasn't flashy, but had a completion percentage of 58.5% with 14,630 passing yards, 85 touchdowns, and 75 interceptions.
Now an analyst who's covered the Saints for several years, Hebert was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 1999. He has the second most wins of any Saints quarterback and the third longest tenure of anyone to wear No. 3 for the team. After Hebert followed Mark Royals in the 3 jersey. Royals was a solid punter for otherwise awful Mike Ditka teams for two seasons.
John Carney was quietly one of the most prolific kickers in Saints history. A 23-year NFL veteran, Carney spent eight years with New Orleans over two different stints. His 108 games with the team are the most for any who's worn the No. 3 uniform. As a Saint, Carney converted 82.8% of his field goals and over 98% of his extra points, though his whiff after the 2001 ''River City Relay'' lives in infamy. Carney's 168 made field goals are second only to Pro Football Hall of Famer Morten Andersen in franchise history, while his 264 field goals and 768 career points rank third. In 2014, Carney was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame.
Shayne Graham stepped in as a replacement kicker late in the 2013 season and held the job through the following year. He hit 53 of 54 extra points and 21 of 24 field goals. Not included in that total was the game-winning field goal on the last play of the 2014 Divisional Playoff victory on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Wil Lutz was picked up by New Orleans early in the 2016 campaign. He had his struggles that season, with some key blocked kicks and misses contributing to New Orleans missing the postseason. Lutz would rebound to become arguably the most clutch and consistent kicker that has played for the Saints. His 97 games are also the second most of any to have worn No. 3 for the franchise.
Lutz was one of the top clutch kickers in the NFL with the Saints. His 32 made field goals in 2019 are a single-season franchise record, besting his own mark, with his 144 points that year the second best in team history. Lutz holds four of the five best single-season point marks in the history of the Saints. He connected on 84.6% of his field goals, best in team history, and 97.6% of his extra points. Only Morten Andersen and John Carney have more than Lutz' 165 field goals, with only Andersen converting more than the 286 extra points that Lutz hit. Now with the Denver Broncos, Wil Lutz will surely have a place in the Saints Hall of Fame upon his eventual retirement.
Jake Haener was a fourth-round selection by the Saints in the 2023 NFL Draft. He is the only one of the now nine players to wear the 3 jersey for New Orleans to be drafted by the team. Haener played only two seasons with the Saints, getting one start and unable to even win the number two job.
After ranking only 28th in rushing production in 2025, the Saints made signing Travis Etienne Jr. a free agent priority during the following offseason. Etienne eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in three of his first four seasons with the Jaguars. He brings explosiveness and versatility to a New Orleans offense in need of both. Expect Etienne to be a focus of the Saints attack in 2026 and beyond.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 3 days until Saints opener: Every player to wear the No. 3 jersey
