​We are currently staring at a 64-day pause before the New Orleans Saints officially begin their regular season. The club will kick off the 2026 campaign on the road, traveling to take on the Detroit Lions on Sunday, September 13. As training camp approaches, no Saints player is donning the number 64 at this moment. The last Saint to wear No. 64 was Nick Saldiveri, who did so from 2023 through 2025, but injuries sidelined him for 2025 and he will not play this season. The greatest passer of the 64 jersey for New Orleans, however, is widely regarded as Zach Strief.
Here is a look at every Saints player who has worn the number 64. The first Saint to sport 64 was Ray Hester, who wore it from 1971 to 1973. Hester was a reserve linebacker for three seasons, appearing in 27 games and recovering five fumbles while also recording a sack. In 1974, Hester left for the World Football League, allowing Andy Maurer to temporarily claim 64 for five games in that single season. The first Saints draft pick to wear 64 was Dave Lafary, a fifth-round selection in the 1977 NFL Draft. Lafary, though mostly a backup, appeared in 109 games over nine seasons with the Saints, making him the second-highest draft choice to wear 64 and the second-most games among those who have worn the number.
After Lafary, three Saints wore 64 in the periods from 1987 to 1999, each for only a single year. Ted Elliott filled the number briefly as a replacement player during the 1987 strike, appearing in three games. Scott Adams was a reserve offensive lineman who played 11 games in 1994. Robert Newkirk appeared as a backup for five games in 1999. Kendyl Jacox finally broke that one-year streak beginning in 2002, stepping in as the starting left guard and appearing in 56 games over four seasons for the Saints.
Zach Strief stands as by far the most accomplished wearer of 64 in Saints history. A seventh-round pick in the very fruitful 2006 NFL Draft, Strief spent his early years as a reserve lineman before securing the right tackle job in 2011. He held that position at a high level for six consecutive seasons, contributing to one of the most productive offenses in NFL history. Strief’s durability and effectiveness culminated in 158 games played, the most by any Saints player to wear the 64 jersey, and his role in the team’s offensive success remains a high-water mark for the number within the franchise.
As for contemporary players, Nick Saldiveri wore 64 from 2023 into 2025, but injuries prevented him from appearing in 2025 and beyond. With Saldiveri out, the 64 jersey remains unassigned as training camp progresses, awaiting the next Saint to take up the number. Will Will Clapp or another player eventually reclaim 64 for the Saints? Only time will tell, but the legacy of 64 in New Orleans remains anchored in Strief’s celebrated tenure and the assorted players who carried the number through the years.