Cowboys' Jaylon Smith reportedly paid a lot of money to switch to Tony Romo's old jersey number
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith is joining the ever-growing list of NFL players who are switching numbers thanks to new league rules that allow certain positions to wear previously-forbidden numbers.
He’s going from 54 to No. 9, and while he spoke to Tony Romo about taking the former Cowboys digits, Smith didn’t pay a huge sum to the retired Romo to get the number.
Remember: if you change your number this season, you’re required to pay the NFL to buy out the inventory of your old jerseys. So, per ESPN, that came “at a mid-six figure cost, according to multiple sources.”
Here’s what was said about Romo:
Owner and general manager Jerry Jones gave Smith the blessing to make the change. A source said Smith reached out to Tony Romo, who wore the number from 2003 to 2016, about the switch as well.
“First and foremost, it’s a blessing and an honor to be able to carry on the 9 legacy,” Smith said “Tony Romo did an amazing job of just being elite and putting together great success for the Cowboys franchise. As you know, new players coming in, always getting an opportunity to sometimes carry on legacy. That’s the opportunity that the Jones family granted me with wearing No. 9, so it’s definitely a blessing.”
That’s quite a number switch and price! But you can see how meaningful it is.