Before Kool-Aid McKinstry ever stepped foot inside the New Orleans Saints complex, he was allocated the uniform number 34.

He knew he wouldn’t be able to keep to it once the games began.

“I know I can’t rock with that, and I can’t even lie,” McKinstry admitted. “It doesn’t matter,… but (a number in the) 30s gave me fullback vibes. It made me feel huge. It made me feel like a linebacker.

McKinstry officially changed his number to 14 on Friday, wearing the outfit previously worn by New Orleans native Stanley Morgan during training camp.

No Saints player has worn No. 14 in a regular season game since Andy Dalton did it in 2022, and Pro Football Reference lists only ten players who have worn the uniform in team history.
Why 14? Part of it may have been influenced by veteran safety Tyrann Mathieu, who wore No. 14 as a freshman at LSU before moving to No. 7. Though it’s unclear whether that was the rationale, McKinstry appeared to embrace the concept on Friday.

“The Badger, baby,” McKinstry replied, referring to Mathieu’s “Honey Badger” moniker. “The Badger told me go get that 14, and he’s going to look out for me next year.”

So it’s a one-year commitment?

“I don’t know, I might like it and keep it,” McKinstry replied. “I’ve got to let it grow on me.”