It's Official: @DerekCarrQB will be No. 4️⃣ for the #Saints
Order your jersey or shirt here: https://t.co/jPSw1wOZjI pic.twitter.com/z6DmswnxCC
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) March 16, 2023
This is a tough scene: if he’s back with the New Orleans Saints in 2023, young punter Blake Gillikin won’t be wearing the same jersey number. NewOrleans.Football’s Mike Triplett reported that the team’s big free agent pickup Derek Carr will continue to wear the No. 4 jersey he’s used all throughout his playing career, which was confirmed by Nola.com’s Luke Johnson.
Gillikin’s contract with the Saints expired, making him a restricted free agent, though he’s a good pick to return to the team on a new deal. And when he does, he’ll be wearing a new jersey number (Triplett adds that Gillikin gave Carr his blessing to pick No. 4, which was a nice gesture).
What number Gillikin will pick if he returns is anyone’s guess: he wore No. 93 in college at Penn State and No. 33 in high school, neither of which are eligible for NFL punters. Best of luck to him in sorting that out, but first he and the Saints need to hammer out a contract.