Saints Countdown To Kickoff With The History Of Number 98 originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Chris Rumph II joined the New Orleans Saints as a free agent this offseason. He’ll be reunited with Brandon Staley, who coached him for his first three NFL seasons with the Chargers and is the new defensive coordinator for New Orleans.
A fourth-round pick out of Duke in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Chargers, Rumph had just 3 sacks, 9 QB hits, and 4 tackles for loss as a reserve in his first three years. He missed the 2024 season with an Achilles injury.
Rumph is the latest to wear the number 98 for the Saints. With 98 days until the 2025-26 season opener for New Orleans, here’s a look at the other notable Saints players who have worn 98 during the regular season in franchise history.
Saints History of 98
• Reggie Lewis, THE (1982-84)
• Milford Hodge, DE (1986)
• Jim Hanna, DT (1994)
• Ron Warner, from (1998)
• Willie Whitehead, DE/DT (1999-2006)
• Renaldo Wynn, DE (2007)
• Sedrick Ellis, DT (2008-12)
• Parys Haralson, LB (2013-14)
• Mike Mohamed, LB (2015)
• Sheldon Rankins, DT (2016-20)
• Payton Turner (2021-24)
• Chris Rumph II, Edge (present)
The first to wear 98 in franchise history, Lewis had his best season in 1983 with 6.5 sacks and an interception return for a touchdown. Hodge, Hanna, and Warner each played less than a season with New Orleans, combining for only nine games with the team.
Whitehead was an underrated contributor for an outstanding defensive line in the early 2000s. His eight-year totals included 24.5 sacks and 40 tackles for loss. He remains the longest-tenured player to wear 98 for New Orleans.
Most view Ellis as one of the bigger draft busts in Saints history. The seventh overall choice in the 2008 NFL Draft out of USC, he was with the team for five years then out of the NFL altogether. Over that five-year span, Ellis had a combined 12.5 sacks, 30 QB hits, and 18 stops for loss.
Haralson was a decent player for an otherwise awful New Orleans defense. The final two years of his eight-year career were with the Saints. Wynn and Mohammed collectively played less than a year with the Saints, combining for only 13 games.
The 12th overall choice in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Louisville, Rankins had a very good five-year tenure in New Orleans. Over that time, he had a combined 19.5 sacks, 73 QB hits, and 47 tackles for loss.
Turner joins Ellis on the Saints list of historical draft busts. The 28th overall choice in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Houston, he made a miniscule impact in his four years with the Saints before signing with Dallas this offseason. Of a possible 68 games with New Orleans, Turner played in only 31 contests and had just 5 sacks, 11 QB hits, and 11 tackles for negative yardage.
With any luck, Chris Rumph II will have an impact closer to what Whitehead and Rankins did for the team rather than Turner and Ellis.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
