New Orleans Saints cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry knocks Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson out of bounds short of the goal line during an NFL game on Dec. 23, 2024, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.
New Orleans Saints cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry knocks Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson out of bounds short of the goal line during an NFL game on Dec. 23, 2024, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.(AP Photo/Mike Roemer)
New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr’s retirement was posted on the NFL transaction report for Tuesday, and Carr’s removal wasn’t the only change made to the team’s roster.
With Carr’s retirement, the No. 4 became available and is now listed as the jersey number for cornerback Ga’Quincy “Kool-Aid” McKinstry. The former Pinson Valley High School standout and Alabama All-American wore No. 14 as a second-round rookie during the 2024 season.
Carr’s retirement set off a chain reaction on the New Orleans roster.
The No. 14 that McKinstry shed was picked up by wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, who had been wearing No. 24. Now in the No. 24 is safety Terrell Burgess, who had been listed as No. 42.
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Before he earned All-American recognition from The Associated Press and The Sporting News in 2023 at Alabama, McKinstry was the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Mr. Football and Class 6A Back of the Year while playing for Pinson Valley High School in 2020, when the Indians won their third AHSAA Class 6A championship in four seasons.
After joining New Orleans as the 41st pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, McKinstry made two starts in the Saints’ first eight games. The second came in Game 8, a week after cornerback Paulo Adebo suffered a broken leg in a 33-10 loss to the Denver Broncos on Oct. 17.
McKinstry missed the next two games because of a hamstring injury, and during that time, New Orleans traded cornerback Marshon Lattimore to the Washington Commanders. When McKinstry returned, he started New Orleans’ remaining seven games and played 479 of his season total of 680 defensive snaps.
McKinstry was among the nine rookie cornerbacks who played at least that many snaps in 2024. He and the Baltimore Ravens’ Nate Wiggins were the only rookie cornerbacks last season to face at least 60 passes and hold opposing quarterbacks to a completion rate of less than 55 percent and two or fewer touchdown passes.
For 2025, the Saints have McKinstry and Alontae Taylor penciled in at the top of their cornerback depth chart. Taylor started 15 games last season.