Which Steelers will switch their number?

[bigben07MVP]

Title is self-explanatory. Now that the players can wear single digits, who on the Steelers do you think will switch. I could see younger players like JuJu switching but veterans more likely to keep their existing number.
Heres a few I would like to see:

JuJu - #9 (although this is currently Boswell’s number)

Devin Bush - #10 (college #)

Minkah - #8 (39 is such a bad number and a safety wearing single digits is pretty cool)

McFarland or Highsmith - #5 (college #)

Any that I’m missing? Are you a fan of this new rule?

 

 

[CKSteeler]

I'm not a fan of the rule. I like the neatness of the NFL's numbering system and being able to identify where a guy plays based on number. I don't care if players like to wear single digits.

[Dcash4]

I’ve never felt older than I did when I heard this and went ehhhhh. 

Im not really a fan. I always liked that there was a form of “professionalism” to the NFL numbering vs college. 

This was a free chance for the NFL to sell a ton of jerseys as people re-purchase to update someone’s number. I’ll get used to it, but I won’t like it for a while. 

[95lloyd]

They need to adopt the Stefon Diggs approach.

 

“After some thought,” Diggs wrote, “I can’t change my number all the people that spent their hard earned money supporting the 14 I gotta keep it.“

[95lloyd]

Juju already asking if he should go back to 9

Edited April 22, 2021 by 95lloyd

[VigilantZombie]

3 hours ago, 95lloyd said:

Juju already asking if he should go back to 9

That's just weird. And would suck for like all the people myself included with #19 jerseys

[warfelg]

Well if they want to change their number in 2021 they have to buy out the existing unsold stock, which IIRC some economist calculated when another player wanted to do this and it was upwards of $1mil easily even at wholesale pricing.
 

So expect rookies to use the new numbering system in 2021, with vets making the switch in 2022. 
 

I get why this passed. Some teams retire/don’t distribute certain numbers (were one of them) and for the skill positions it really cramps up numbers available. So it opens up other options. Plus if you rely on the number system to know what position the player plays, that’s on you for not being able to know where they are lined up. 
 

FWIW:

RB, WR, TE - 1-49, 80-89

CB, S - 1-49

OL - 50-79

DL - 70-79, 90-99

LB- 1-59, 90-99

QB, K, P - 1-19

Really the only positions that saw the number selection grow were offensive skill positions, LB/DB. Everyone else still has the same ole numbering restrictions. Especially when it comes to the LB/DB hybrid I think it’s good to open up numbers for them. 

Edited April 22, 2021 by warfelg

[Dcash4]

5 hours ago, warfelg said:

Really the only positions that saw the number selection grow were offensive skill positions,

It's no coincidence that it matches the majority of sold Jerseys. 

Honestly, its genius following the pandemic. Even with the buy back, if it cost you $1M to buy back jerseys but you sell $5M worth of new Jalen Ramsey 8 jerseys you did well. The majority owning a 20 jersey of Ramsey are not going to go buy another one....but so many will update if that's not his number anymore. 

Genius, but I am not the biggest fan. I don't want pro corners wearing 1, personally. At least they kept the "0" out of the equation. 

[warfelg]

20 minutes ago, Dcash4 said:

It's no coincidence that it matches the majority of sold Jerseys. 

Honestly, its genius following the pandemic. Even with the buy back, if it cost you $1M to buy back jerseys but you sell $5M worth of new Jalen Ramsey 8 jerseys you did well. The majority owning a 20 jersey of Ramsey are not going to go buy another one....but so many will update if that's not his number anymore. 

Genius, but I am not the biggest fan. I don't want pro corners wearing 1, personally. At least they kept the "0" out of the equation. 

I don’t mind. Doesn’t really bother me. At least we won’t see QBs in the 20 or the fat guy wearing 1. 
 

But again, Ramsey switching to 8 in 2021 only happens if he buys out the remaining stock of 20’s. Let’s say that’s $3mil to buy out. He doesn’t see the money of jersey sales. And he’s likely got to pay/trade something (their kicker wears 8). So declare for 2022 the switch, pay the kicker less because he might not be with the team anymore, don’t have to buy out the stock. 

[warfelg]

Honestly take the Steelers single digits:

2 - Rudolph. Might have to pay something. Could just wait. 
 

4 - Jordan Berry. He’s on a 1 year deal so his fee is low because he might not be there. 
 

5 - Dobbs. See above. 
 

7 - Ben. Ain’t happening

8 - Waitmann. Wait. Man. 
 

9 - Boz. That’s gonna cost a lot. 
 

Plus a majority of Steelers who might switch (Juju, Haden of note) are set to be FAs so why waste the money on changing now. 

[August4th]

 

[bigben07MVP]

15 minutes ago, August4th said:

 

Claypool ain't giving up #11 lol. Smart answer by Dobbs though.

[Dcash4]

3 hours ago, warfelg said:

fat guy wearing 1

Dude, no. That's the best part of the loose number rules in college. That 340+ pounder whose jersey cant go over his stomach wearing a single digit and wrecking offensive lines? Love it!

3 hours ago, warfelg said:

But again, Ramsey switching to 8 in 2021 only happens if he buys out the remaining stock of 20’s. Let’s say that’s $3mil to buy out. He doesn’t see the money of jersey sales. And he’s likely got to pay/trade something (their kicker wears 8). So declare for 2022 the switch, pay the kicker less because he might not be with the team anymore, don’t have to buy out the stock. 

I didn't realize it's the player themselves that had to pay. I just assumed it was the cost associated with the buy back. It's also something I think someone like Ramsey goes up to the NFL/NFLPA and say, I'm gonna make you $1M each....I ain't paying though and it gets done because the math works in everyones favor and a quick program like this helps make up for lost pandemic revenues. 

But waiting one year isn't a huge deal. But at the end of the day, this was about selling jerseys. Everything else is a minor supporting detail. 

[warfelg]

4 minutes ago, Dcash4 said:

I didn't realize it's the player themselves that had to pay. I just assumed it was the cost associated with the buy back.

That’s long been the rule even before now. Even applies to putting tags. So if Minkah had a kid and named him JR, and wanted Fitzpatrick Sr on his jersey he would have to pay to buy back unsold ones with the old name. Hence why number changes typically come with moving to a new team or a popular player compensating you for it (like Brady to Godwin). We might see a player or two not care and just want that number this year; but most will wait. 

[Dcash4]

5 minutes ago, warfelg said:

That’s long been the rule even before now. Even applies to putting tags. So if Minkah had a kid and named him JR, and wanted Fitzpatrick Sr on his jersey he would have to pay to buy back unsold ones with the old name. Hence why number changes typically come with moving to a new team or a popular player compensating you for it (like Brady to Godwin). We might see a player or two not care and just want that number this year; but most will wait. 

I just think of a guy like Cam Sutton who changed from 34 to 20 after Will Allen left. Obviously, he wouldn't have a ton of jerseys on the market but having to pay any amount when you are in year 2 having netted just over a million is pretty costly.