Former New Orleans Saints guard Jahri Evans will be inducted into the club's Ring of Honor on Sunday, November 17, during an on-field halftime ceremony of the team’s contest against the Cleveland Browns. Saints Owner Gayle Benson and a significant number of Evans' former teammates, who are participating in the team's annual 'Legends Weekend', will be present for the induction.
"It is exciting to have been selected to be part of such an elite group," said Evans. "I am grateful to Mrs. Benson, Mickey Loomis for selecting me for this honor. I would also like to thank my coaches and teammates for the role they played in my development and success, as well as our fans that gave us such great energy on gameday and inspired us to reach the heights of winning the Super Bowl."
"During his 11-year playing career as a Saint, Jahri Evans established himself as one of the greatest Saints of all-time and we are thrilled to add him to the Ring of Honor," said Benson. "Jahri was a true professional, a student of the game and a phenomenal teammate. With his excellence along the offensive line, he became a true leader and was a catalyst for some of the NFL's most prolific offenses. The battles Jahri won up front played a pivotal role in us celebrating some of the most memorable moments in our franchise's history. We look forward to celebrating his legendary career in front of our fans in the Caesars Superdome."
"From the moment we drafted Jahri Evans in 2006, he was an immediate contributor and integral part of our football team," said Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis. "Jahri quickly became a mainstay on our offensive line and was one of the most dominant guards in the National Football League. His contributions throughout the week and on gameday were crucial to our team's success on offense and as a whole during that time. I have been fortunate to have a chance to be around some Hall of Fame offensive lineman during my NFL front office career and Jahri ranks right in that group. We are extremely proud to have Jahri join the Saints Ring of Honor."
Evans, 6-4, 318, was originally a fourth round draft pick (108th overall) of the Saints in 2006 out of Bloomsburg and developed into an anchor for one of the most dominant offenses in NFL history during his tenure with the Saints.
The Philadelphia, Pa. native started all 169 regular season games he played in at right guard and all of the team's ten postseason contests during that period, including all three during the 2009 campaign when the Saints captured Super Bowl XLIV. A five-time Associated Press All-Pro (2009-13), Evans was selected to the first-team four times, twice as much as any other Saint. Evans was selected to six straight Pro Bowls (2009-14) and was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2010's All-Decade Team.
During his 11-year tenure, the Saints were ranked first in the NFL in total offense (net yards per game) six times (2006, 2008-09, 2011, 2014 and 2016) and in scoring (points per game) twice (2008-09). The 274 sacks surrendered by the Saints offensive line from 2006-16 were the lowest total in the NFL over the period and the unit was recognized twice (2009 and 2011) as the winner of the Madden Protector Offensive Line Award. Evans closed out his playing career starting 14 games at right guard for the Green Bay Packers in 2017, finishing with 183 total games played and started. A Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist in 2023 and finalist in 2024, Evans began his coaching career as an offensive assistant for the Saints in 2023.
Overall, Evans is the eighth person from the Saints organization to join the Ring of Honor, joining Owner Tom Benson (2018), kicker Morten Andersen (2016), linebacker Rickey Jackson (2013), quarterback Archie Manning (2013), linebacker Sam Mills (2021), tackle William Roaf (2013) and defensive end Will Smith (2019).
