The latest honor for Jahri Evans won't require him to travel far: The legendary Saints guard will become the 8th member of the team's Ring of Honor when his name is added later this season.
Evans, 40, now a member of the team's coaching staff as an offensive line assistant, will be honored during a ceremony at halftime of the Saints' matchup with the Browns in Week 11.
“Jahri was a true professional, a student of the game and a phenomenal teammate, who led our team and our historic offense with his excellence along the offensive line," said team owner Gayle Benson in a news release. "The battles that 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 November in front of our fans in the Caesars Superdome.”
Evans was originally a 4th round pick out of Bloomsburg College and quickly became a mainstay at guard, starting 169 games regular season games and another 10 in the postseason. He was an anchor of the 2009 squad that won the franchise's first and only Super Bowl.
He was selected to six straight Pro Bowls from 2009-'14 and was also named to the Hall of Fame's all-decade team, where it's likely he will also be enshrined before long. As a team the Saints surrendered just 274 sacks during Jahri's time, the lowest total in the NFL. Evan's final season came as a member of the Green Bay Packers in 2017, but rejoined the Saints in 2023 as an offensive assistant.
"From the moment we drafted Jahri Evans in 2006 he was an immediate contributor and an integral part of our football team," said GM Mickey Loomis in a release. "Jahri quickly became a mainstay on our ofensive line and was one of the most dominant guards in the National Football League. ... I have been fortunate to have a chance to be around some Hall of Fame offensive linemen during my NFL from office career, and Jahri ranks right in that grroup."
Evans will become the eighth addition to the team's ring of honor, a group that includes OT Willie Roaf (2012), LB Rickey Jackson (2013), QB Archie Manning (2013), K Morten Andersen (2016), team owner Tom Benson (2018), DE Will Smith (2019) and LB Sam Mills (2021).
