With the NFL expected to loosen its number restrictions this upcoming season (a proposal submitted by the Chiefs will be put to a vote later this month), many players including Cowboys stars CeeDee Lamb and Jaylon Smith have expressed interest in changing their uniform numbers. Ezekiel Elliott, who adopted 21 upon entering the league because his preferred 15 wasn’t permitted (only quarterbacks, receivers and kickers can wear that number under current league rules), took to Twitter to share a similar sentiment Thursday, teasing a return to the number he wore in college.
The Cowboys assigned No. 15 to wide receiver Chris Lacy last season. However, he was waived by the team last month. It would be jarring to see Elliott, Dallas’ third-leading rusher in franchise history, with a new number on his chest, though mid-career number changes are far from unprecedented in sports. Kobe Bryant famously pivoted from 8 to 24 while LeBron James rebranded as No. 6 (also his number on the United States’ Olympic team) in Miami after donning 23 with Cleveland (Michael Jordan’s 23 is retired by the Heat despite having never played for them). More recently, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts switched from No. 2 to 1, the same number he sported at Oklahoma.
An overhaul to the NFL’s outdated number rules was long overdue. With up to 69 active and practice-squad players on each team, there simply aren’t enough numbers to go around, and that’s not even taking into account players on injured reserve or retired numbers taken out of circulation. Though the domino effect of players rushing to change their number could prove chaotic, in the case of Elliott, a household name and one of the NFL’s main attractions, such a move could prove quite lucrative. Seeing its merchandising potential, Dallas would surely seize on the opportunity, capitalizing on the new number by selling as many No. 15 Zeke jerseys as possible.
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