The most polarizing player on the Cowboys’ current roster is about to raise the ire of fans of the most polarizing player in the Cowboys’ recent past. But make no mistake: linebacker Jaylon Smith has a clear-eye view of what he wants.
Smith will switch to a new jersey number in 2021, going from his previous No. 54 to No. 9, the number he wore at Notre Dame and in high school. ESPN’s Todd Archer cited multiple sources as he tweeted the news.
Jaylon Smith is making a jersey switch, moving from No. 54 to No. 9, but it will come at a cost. According to multiple sources, Smith will pay close to mid-six figures to buy out the current inventory of No. 54 jerseys and t-shirts, which follows NFL… https://t.co/zUi2G1Sftg
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) May 25, 2021
Of course, legions of Cowboys fans still have Tony Romo jerseys hanging in their closets, so there’s sure to be a preponderance of No. 9s at AT&T Stadium this season and beyond. The Cowboys famously do not retire jersey numbers; Romo wore the digit for his entire playing career, 2003-2016.
No. 54 has a rich history within the Cowboys franchise, too, having been worn by Ring of Honor defenders Chuck Howley and Randy White.
Owner Jerry Jones said last month that while the organization prefers that negotiations over jersey numbers happen strictly between players, he did intimate that Smith assuming the number of the beloved ex-quarterback might call for an exception.
“If anybody wants 9, we’ll have to represent Romo on this side of the table,” the owner said in a press conference on draft weekend, “to determine how much it’s worth to have No. 9 on, so to speak.”
Smith did reportedly reach out to Romo about wearing his old number moving forward, as per Archer.
New number this season for @thejaylonsmith 👀
Read more 📰⬇️
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) May 25, 2021
According to the team website, third-year safety Donovan Wilson, who had been wearing No. 37 thus far in his career, is also switching into his Texas A&M number, No. 6.
First-round draft pick Micah Parsons had already been issued the No. 11 jersey he wore at Penn State, taking over that number from wideout Cedrick Wilson.
With new rules governing the numbers that each position can legally wear, Smith would have been able to complete the switch next year for free simply by making his request. But to get out of the No. 54 for the 2021 season, Smith will have to buy out the current inventory of jerseys and shirts bearing that number.
Smith was one of the first players to post a doctored image of himself wearing his preferred number when the league revealed it would broaden its numbering restrictions.
“Those guys have to negotiate those changes,” Jones said regarding potential switches in April. “We are very aware of what happens relative to the personality’s identification with a number. It’s not frivolous.”
The amount of money Smith will have to pony up to buy out all the existing No. 54 gear won’t be frivolous, either.
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