The NFL recently changed up the rules on what positions can wear what numbers, and Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith has decided to take advantage.
The change came with mixed reactions from fans as we love interjecting our feels into things like this. I have my own thoughts; in fact - nine of them. Here are nine reasons why I'm not digging Jaylon's number change.
1. It's a costly business decision
For a player to be allowed to switch numbers, they have to agree to buy out the current inventory of no. 54 jerseys and t-shirts as there is no way NFL merchandising would willingly just absorb those financial hits. That means that Jaylon will be forking out a lot of dough to get his new number, and reports are that he's looking at somewhere in the range of half a million.
That may not seem like a lot of money in the world of NFL players, but Smith only has $7.2 million guaranteed money remaining on his contract. If he would've indicated that he wanted to make the change next season, it wouldn't have cost him a dime, but for whatever reason he just had to do it now.
2. Double-crosses his most loyal fans
While Jaylon's wallet will come to the rescue of NFL merchandising, what happens to all current jersey owners of no. 54? They get hosed, that's what.
Any fan who has spent their hard earned cash on a Smith 54 jersey might as well put it out during their next garage sale as it now becomes obsolete. And let's face it, Jaylon's not the most loved player in Dallas lately, so this is a nice slap in the face to those loyal supporters who have proudly showed off his 54 jersey.
3. He might be cut after the 2021 season
I don't want to sound like a Negative Nancy, but it's not out of the question that he's not part of this football team in 2022. The team just invested in two fast linebackers in draft picks Micah Parsons and Jabril Cox. While Cox is a Day 3 pick (albeit, great value Day 3 pick), Parsons is a blue-chip player who is supposed to help transform this defense. And sure, the Cowboys didn't pick up Leighton Vander Esch's fifth-year option, so his future is murky as well, but we don't really know how this linebacker situation is going to shape out.
Smith signed a six-year extension worth up to $68.4 million, but the Cowboys have a potential out in his contract that would only cost them $6.8 million in dead money next offseason. If Jaylon doesn't show some significant improvement this upcoming season, don't be shocked if the front office doesn't want to keep shelling out a sizeable base salary to keep him on the roster. If that happens, those no. 9 Smith jerseys are going to have a short shelf life.
4. It's too soon to wear Romo's number
The Cowboys don't officially retire numbers, but some digits are sacred. I highly doubt we see any Dallas players wearing the no. 12 or 22 ever again as Roger Staubach and Emmitt Smith are Cowboys legends. Tony Romo doesn't fall into that category and we all knew that another Cowboys player would wear his number eventually, but does it have to be this soon?
Romo is the Cowboys all-time leader in passing yards, touchdowns, and just overall adrenaline moments, and I'm not quite sure we're ready to see someone else don his number.
5. Show some respect to the 54 legacy!
It's nice that Jaylon wants to honor Romo by wearing his number, but let's not ingore the fact that he's already wearing a number that comes with a legacy of it's own. Cowboy greats like Randy White and Chuck Howley have both worn no. 54, so carrying on that tradition is something that shouldn't be tossed aside.
You don't really want to get on Randy White's bad side as he onced knocked out Charles Haley for riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle into his restaurant. Granted, this is far less obtrusive, but how about show a little respect towards being allowed to wear no. 54?
6. I'm tired on non-football related Jaylon news
It sure would be nice if Jaylon would make the news for something he's doing on the football field. I'm not interested in his brand or his Clear Eye View sunglasses, and it gets old seeing all the hate that goes his way from his celebration swipes at some very inopportune moments (don't swipe when you're trailing by three scores).
For such a high character guy, Smith gets more than his share of criticism from the media, and it sure would be a nice change of pace to see some good press thrown his way for what he's actually doing on the field.
7. Linebackers aren't supposed to wear single digits!
Can we just take a moment to express our displeasure with this whole new number arrangement that the league is allowing? Initially, only quarterbacks, kickers, and punters could wear single digits, but thanks to NFL owners approving this jersey number change, the positions eligible to wear single digits have been expanded to running backs, tight ends, wide receivers, defensive backs, and linebackers.
I'm not against fun, but this is going to take some getting used to.
8. Let college numbers be college numbers
One of the cool things about making the transition from college to the pro's was the new number they'd be wearing that fit into the traditional jerseys of the NFL. In college, all bets are off as players can wear whatever they want. But in the NFL, fans became acclimated with certain positions requiring a certain number range. While there still remains some number restrictions, there's hardly a contrast anymore between college and the pro's. It's anarchy!
9. Let's hope it's not cursed
Romo's career was cut short due to his inability to stay healthy. While he didn't officially retire until 2017, he only played in five total games after the 2014 season. And let's not forget when he was heathly, some weird stuff happened. Between untimely turnovers, a bobbled snap while holding for a field goal, or throwing the pass that resulted in the infamous "Dez no-catch" playoff game, Romo has been on the wrong end of several unlucky moments.
As for Jaylon, the last time he wore no. 9 he was laying on the ground in agony after a gruesome injury during his last college game at Notre Dame. After missing his entire rookie season in 2016, Smith has played in all 64 games since. Hopefully, a change in number doesn't change his luck.
What do you think of Jaylon switching to no. 9? Hit me up on Twitter and let me know.
