Cam Jordan set to become greatest Saint to play entire career with New Orleans

The names are plentiful in New Orleans Saints history.

From Drew Brees to Rickey Jackson.

From Morten Andersen to Willie Roaf.

From Sam Mills to Jahri Evans.

From Vaughan Johnson to Pat Swilling.

From Wayne Martin to Marques Colston.

Those are some of the most accomplished players to ever play for the Saints. All, with the exception of Brees who is not yet eligible, are in the Saints Hall of Fame. Brees, at some point, will also join the ranks of the Saints Ring of Honor, which currently consists of Jackson, Andersen, Roaf, Mills, Will Smith, Archie Manning and Tom Benson.

All those players but Smith are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Smith is in the Saints Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio bears Benson’s name.

Jim Finks and Jim Mora deserve to be in the Ring of Honor, though neither spent his entire career with the Saints.

While some greats are in the Ring of Honor and others are in the Saints Hall of Fame only, all of these former players have something in common. None of them played their entire career with the New Orleans Saints.

By virtue of agreeing to two-year contract extension, Cam Jordan is poised to become the greatest player in franchise history to play every down of his NFL career with the Saints.

Jordan, the 24th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, has proven to be one of the very best investments in franchise history, now 12 years into that investment.

Jordan has reached eight Pro Bowls. Regardless of what he accomplishes the rest of his career, Jordan is a clear and worthy candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

With 115.5 sacks, Jordan is the all-time leader in that department in franchise history.

Of course, sacks did not become an official NFL statistic until 1982.

Therefore, Jackson’s eight sacks in 1981, his rookie season, gave him 123 with the Saints.

Jordan pointed it out today, recognizing Jackson’s feat and excellence, a nod to his pure class.

Jordan also pointed it out today as a nod to his competitive nature. He wants to eclipse that mark, needing eight more sacks to do so.

Jordan’s 15 forced fumbles appear to be second only to Jackson in Saints history. His six seasons of 10 or more sacks is tied with Jackson for the most for the Saints.

Jordan has played in 192 games, fourth most in franchise history, and he is poised to move up to second on that list this season. Brees (2006-2020) is the all-time leader with 228 games played with Andersen second at 196. Jackson is third with 195 games played.

If Jordan remains healthy and fulfills the final three years of his new contract, he will match the record for longevity in franchise history of 15 years on the field, established by Brees.

By playing every game of his NFL career with one team, he keeps a family tradition alive, following the footsteps of his father, Steve Jordan, who played all 13 of his seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.

There are a select few players who played 10 or more seasons for the Saints. All of those players are in the Saints Hall of Fame or will be in the Saints Hall of Fame upon completion of their careers.

Only eight played their entire careers with the Saints. Hoby Brenner and Jim Wilks were models of consistency for 13 seasons (1981-1993) and Wilks was on the best defense in franchise history. The same was true of Frank Warren (1981-1994), who also played 13 seasons, missing the 1990 season. Jim Dombrowski (1986-1996) and Wayne Martin (1989-1999) each played 11 seasons for the Saints in excellent fashion. Marques Colston (2006-2015), Joel Hilgenberg (1984-1993) and Tommy Myers (1972-1981) each played 10 seasons with the Saints as very good players. Myers did go on to play two seasons professionally in the USFL.

All of those players were prominent, significant contributors to the Saints but none were as prominent or significant as Jordan, who will most certainly be in the Saints Hall of Fame and the Saints Ring of Honor. He belongs as part of the Mount Rushmore of franchise history.

What Jordan has done on the field is terrific and what’s he done off the field is tremendous. He visited United States soldiers in 2017 as part of a USO tour in the Middle East and Southwest Asia. Jordan has twice been named the team’s Walter Payton Man of the Year for his volunteer work.

With his wife Nikki, Jordan started the God Iz Love Foundation, whose mission is to create positive change in the lives of youth and to better the community as a whole. The organization focuses on creating youth development initiatives in New Orleans with power and love of God’s light.

Jordan donated $120,000 to finance anti-racism training for the New Orleans Police Department. Through “Forward New Orleans Together,” Jordan and United Healthcare partnered to donate $50,000 for computers for students in the City’s Pathway Program.

Jordan hosted his fifth C3 Youth Camp for YEP and members of the Boys and Girls Club of New Orleans in June. Jordan is active in the community most frequently, particularly dedicated to youth issues.

On a personal level, Jordan has participated in our Saints Hall of Fame Celebrity Golf Classic events the last few years as well, serving as an ambassador, making the day of all paying participants better with smiles, jokes, autographs and pictures.

Jordan’s infectious personality resonates with everyone who encounters him. His relentless pursuit of excellence on the field resonates with teammates and wreaks havoc on all opponents who encounter him.

The financial reward of Jordan’s contract is unusual for a player as deep into his career as he is but it is a clear indication of how the entire New Orleans Saints organization feels about him as a player and as a person.

Brees and Jackson are clearly regarded as the greatest players to ever wear the black and gold, based on longevity and production. Andersen, Roaf and Mills are certainly in that mix.

They have company.

Jordan is that player and that person, perhaps the best ambassador the New Orleans Saints have ever employed as a player. It is beyond appropriate that Jordan, whenever he retires, does so as a New Orleans Saint, having never worn any other colors as the greatest player in franchise history to play his entire career with the Saints.