A new measure passed at last week’s owners’ meetings loosening the NFL’s long-held number restrictions, a rule change that, for the most part (uniform purist Tom Brady, who, as the league’s elder statesman, apparently felt it was his duty to kick and scream about it), was well-received. Some players, however, are finding the league’s new number flexibility to be cost-prohibitive.
Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, who was assigned the No. 33 when he entered the league in 2017, contemplated changing to No. 4, which he wore throughout his high school and college careers. For that to happen, however, the 25-year-old would have to buy back Fanatics’ remaining supply of unsold Cook jerseys. In that scenario, Cook would have to shell out $1.5 million, almost a third of his 2021 salary ($5.1 million including roster and signing bonuses), according to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk on NBC Sports. Cook ultimately chose to stand pat at 33, feeling the switch to 4 wasn’t worth the $1.5-million hit to his wallet.
Cook’s Vikings teammate Patrick Peterson, after years of donning 21 for Arizona, recently reverted to 7, the number he wore at LSU. Peterson faced minimal financial repercussions (since he’s only been with Minnesota a few weeks, it’s doubtful there were many Peterson Vikings jerseys in circulation), though obviously that’s not the case for everyone. Because their jerseys are more widely distributed, stars like Cook will inevitably have to pay more.
It’s quite the paradox—stars are better compensated than backups and fringe roster types, but because their jersey inventory is so much larger, it costs them an arm and a leg to change numbers while anonymous third and fourth-stringers can do it for next to nothing. Cases of established players like Cook changing numbers will likely be few and far between, as incoming rookies and players changing teams are much better-equipped to take advantage of the new numbering system.
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