The start of this work week also marks 83 days before the New Orleans Saints start their 59th NFL season and 2025 regular season against the Arizona Cardinals.
New Orleans is expecting an improvement over their 5-12 record from a year ago. The Saints will be under new leadership on the sidelines in head coach Kellen Moore. They'll also run it back with many of the same familiar faces on the field.
One of those same faces is tight end Juwan Johnson, who will be wearing number 83 in his sixth season. Johnson is the 18th player to wear No. 83 during a regular season game in franchise history. Today, we have a look at all the New Orleans contributors who have worn that jersey.
Saints History of 83
November 24, 2008; New Orleans Saints tight end Billy Miller (83) breaks a tackle against the Green Bay Packers. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-Imagn Images
November 24, 2008; New Orleans Saints tight end Billy Miller (83) breaks a tackle against the Green Bay Packers. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-Imagn Images
• Vern Burke, TE (1967)
• Dave Parks, TE (1968-72)
• Len Garrett, TE (1973-75)
• Andy Hamilton, WR (1975)
• Tinker Owens, WR (1976-80)
• Kenny Duckett, WR (1982-85)
• Carl Roaches, WR (1985)
• Kelvin Edwards, WR (1986)
• Dwight Walker, WR (1987)
• Cliff Benson, TE (1987)
• Greg Scales, WR (1988-91)
• Torrance Small, WR (1992-96)
• Keith Poole, WR (1997-2000)
• Albert Connell, WR (2001)
• Donte' Stallworth, WR (2002-05)
• Billy Miller, TE (2006-08)
• Willie Snead, WR (2015-17)
• Juwan Johnson, TE (2020-present)
New Orleans Saints tight end Dave Parks (83) with a catch against the San Francisco 49ers. Credit: NOLA.com
New Orleans Saints tight end Dave Parks (83) with a catch against the San Francisco 49ers. Credit: NOLA.com
Burke was the first to sport an 83 for New Orleans, catching 8 passes for 84 yards over seven games in the Saints' first season. Parks was a former first overall draft choice and three-time Pro Bowler when he came over from the 49ers. He didn't have quite the same success with New Orleans, but did play five years and had 149 catches for 2,254 yards with 16 touchdowns.
Tinker Owens was the first number 83 to start his career with the Saints. A fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma in 1976, Owens had 60 receptions for 785 yards and 4 scores while playing four years with the team.
Duckett was the only one of the next five Saints to wear 83 to play more than one season, catching 34 passes for 503 yards and 4 touchdowns over 33 games. Scales played four years for the Saints through the late 1980s into early 1990s, but had only 21 catches for 196 yards.
Nov 20, 1994; FILE PHOTO; New Orleans Saints receiver Torrance Small (83) catches a pass against Los Angeles Raiders defensive back James Trapp (37). Mandatory Credit: Long Photography-USA TODAY NETWORK
Nov 20, 1994; FILE PHOTO; New Orleans Saints receiver Torrance Small (83) catches a pass against Los Angeles Raiders defensive back James Trapp (37). Mandatory Credit: Long Photography-USA TODAY NETWORK
Torrance Small followed Scales, and like Scales was a fifth-round draft choice. Small played five seasons in New Orleans, appearing in 72 games as a backup receiver.
Over that span, Small caught 176 passes for 2,180 yards and scored 16 times. He led the team in receptions during the 1996 season and was top-3 in receiving yards twice.
Poole, a fourth-round pick by the team in 1997, had decent production for an otherwise awful team in three of his four seasons. He'd record 91 receptions for 1,696 yards while catching 11 touchdowns. Poole led the Saints in receiving scores in 1999, finishing second in both catches and yards.
Donte' Stallworth was the highest drafted number 83 by New Orleans, getting selected in the first round with the 13th overall pick in 2002. Stallworth played four seasons for the Saints, playing 56 games and making 33 starts.
September 11, 2005; New Orleans Saints wideout Donte Stallworth (83) after a reception against the Carolina Panthers. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Copyright © 2005 Bob Donnan
September 11, 2005; New Orleans Saints wideout Donte Stallworth (83) after a reception against the Carolina Panthers. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Copyright © 2005 Bob Donnan
Over his four years with the Saints, Stallworth caught 195 passes for 2,791 yards and scored 23 touchdowns. His 70 catches, 945 yards, and 7 touchdowns in 2005 led the Saints and were the best of his 10-year career.
Stallworth was an outstanding complement to Pro Bowl WR Joe Horn during his other three seasons as a Saint. Surpassed by seventh-round rookie WR Marques Colston in 2006, Stallworth was surprisingly traded to the Eagles in preseason.
Billy Miller came over to the Saints in 2006 to play the final three years of his career. Miller was a solid blocker and contributed 86 receptions, 1,036 yards, and 3 touchdowns during his time with New Orleans.
Nov 1, 2015; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Willie Snead (83) catches a touchdown pass against the New York Giants. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images
Nov 1, 2015; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Willie Snead (83) catches a touchdown pass against the New York Giants. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images
Undrafted in 2014, Willie Snead bounced from the Cleveland Browns to Carolina Panthers before landing on the New Orleans practice squad at the end of that season. He'd earn a spot in the lineup the following year, and would be a terrific threat within the Saints offense in two of his three seasons with New Orleans.
Snead took the NFL by storm in 2015, catching 69 passes for 984 yards and scoring three times. The following year, Snead pulled in 72 receptions for 895 yards and 4 touchdowns. Off-field issues limited Snead's contributions in 2017, but he remains one of the better undrafted acquisitions in franchise history.
Juwan Johnson arrived as an undrafted wideout in 2020. After two years of modest production, Johnson converted to tight end during the 2022 preseason. Over the last three years, he's been a big part of the New Orleans offense and was re-signed to a lucrative three-year contract extension by the team this offseason.
Johnson has 146 receptions for 1,622 yards and 18 touchdowns during his career. The majority of that production has come over the last three seasons after the switch to tight end.
Dec 17, 2023; New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson (83) catches a touchdown pass against the New York Giants. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Dec 17, 2023; New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson (83) catches a touchdown pass against the New York Giants. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Johnson led the team in touchdown receptions in 2022 and led the Saints in receiving yardage last year. The mismatch he provides against defenses figures to be a key part of the Saints attack in 2025.
Entering his sixth season with New Orleans, Johnson is about to be the longest-tenured Saint to wear number 83. He needs only six more games to surpass Torrance Small's franchise-high in 83, while five more starts will allow him to pass up Dave Parks' team-high in that number.