Only 48 days stand between us and the New Orleans Saints’ 2026 regular season opener, but there’s a wild twist brewing in their training camp. As the team preps to hit the road and face the Detroit Lions on Sunday, September 13th, the iconic No. 48 jersey is completely vacant. Nobody’s wearing it, and frankly, that’s kinda wild considering its history, especially after a player held it down for seven seasons. This number has a story, and right now, it’s a ghost.
From Pro Bowlers to Pioneers: The Early Days of No. 48
This No. 48 jersey has seen some action, even if it’s only been on eight different players in the Saints’ entire franchise history. We’re talking about a rare bird here. The first guy to ever rock it was running back Andy Livingston, who wore it for 15 games back in 1969-70. Get this: Livingston actually made the Pro Bowl in ’69 for the Saints, tearing it up with a team-high 761 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns. That’s serious business. Then, the number essentially disappeared for nearly a decade. When it finally came back, it was for Don Schwartz in 1978, the first defensive player and first Saints draft pick to wear it. Schwartz, a fourth-round pick, suited up in 48 for three years and 46 games, snagging 2 interceptions. You also had Jeff Groth in 1981, who only wore it for his rookie year before switching. The thing is, Schwartz was the only one out of the first seven guys who wore it for more than two years. It’s almost like the number itself had a short shelf life.
The Vonn Bell and J.T. Gray Eras, And What Comes Next
The history of the 48 gets even more interesting with Vonn Bell. He’s the highest-drafted Saint to ever wear the number, coming in as a second-round pick out of Ohio State in 2016. Bell wore 48 for his first two years, playing 32 games, forcing two fumbles, racking up 5.5 sacks, and making 170 tackles. Not too shabby at all! But then he switched to No. 24 for his last two seasons with the team, continuing the trend of players ditching the digits. This opened the door in 2018 for an undrafted rookie out of Mississippi State, J.T. Gray. Gray surprisingly made the team and then *owned* No. 48 for seven years and 98 games straight, breaking the previous short-timer curse. Even though he didn’t see much action on defense, Gray became an absolute beast on special teams, earning one Pro Bowl nod and three 1st or 2nd Team All-Pro recognitions. The dude was a special teams machine! But, alas, the Saints moved on from Gray after the 2025 preseason. The number stayed vacant last season, and it’s still ghosted as training camp kicks off for 2026.
So, here we are, just 48 days from the Saints hitting the road to face the Lions, and this jersey, with its surprisingly storied but often brief past, is sitting there, waiting. Will some rookie grab it? Will a veteran looking for a fresh start claim it? Or will No. 48 remain unworn all season, adding another strange chapter to its history? It’s a small detail, but in the world of football, sometimes the numbers tell the biggest stories.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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