In 16 days, the New Orleans Saints will begin their 2025 regular season by hosting the Arizona Cardinals. The No. 16 jersey, a number worn by several notable players in team history, is currently assigned to wide receiver Bub Means. However, Means will miss this season after suffering another ankle injury during the preseason.
Over the years, only a handful of Saints players have worn No. 16. Bo Burris was the first to do so after being drafted in the second round in 1967. Burris spent three seasons with New Orleans and recorded four interceptions and three fumble recoveries.
Quarterback Steve Ramsey wore No. 16 briefly in 1970, but appeared in just one game before moving on to another team the following year.
Tom Blanchard served as the team’s punter from 1974 to 1978. He played 71 games for New Orleans — the second-longest tenure for any player with this number — and had a notable 71-yard punt that was the longest in the league that season and remains among the franchise’s longest punts.
Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinee Ken Stabler joined New Orleans for his final three NFL seasons between 1982 and 1984, starting in 22 games with an even win-loss record while passing for over three thousand yards.
Mike Buck later took up No. 16 after being selected in the sixth round of the draft. Buck made one start at quarterback over eight appearances between 1991 and 1993.
The most productive wearer of No. 16 is Lance Moore, who joined New Orleans as an undrafted free agent and became an essential part of its offense between 2006 and 2013. Moore’s best season came in 2008 when he caught seventy-nine passes for nine hundred twenty-eight yards and ten touchdowns; he also contributed a key two-point conversion during the Saints’ Super Bowl victory. Moore played one hundred one games with totals including three hundred forty-six receptions for over four thousand yards and thirty-eight touchdowns. In recognition of his impact, he was honored by being enshrined into the Saints Hall of Fame in 2018.
Other players to wear No. 16 include wide receiver Brandon Coleman (2015-17), who caught seventy-nine passes; Bennie Fowler (2020); Ian Book (2021); and rookie Bub Means beginning in 2024 before injuries halted his first two seasons.
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