When defensive end Za’Darius Smith was traded from the Browns to the Lions, one of his first priorities was securing his preferred jersey number, 99. That cost him some money.
The number was available, but only because Lions defensive tackle Brodric Martin was listed with the Lions’ No. 99 jersey but has not played this season. If he had, the NFL would not have allowed him to change the jersey number, and 99 would not have been available to Smith.
Smith told reporters in Detroit on Friday that he was offered songs from the ’60s, ’70s or ’80s, but, “I was like, no way.”
“I thought, who has number 99? They told me who he was and we looked up his number and called him real quick,” Smith said of Martin. “Thanks to him, a guy from Alabama, Tuscaloosa, got a chance to talk to him for a little bit, and I had to pay a little bit, but everything’s going well. I now have number 99.’
When asked what the going rate for a jersey number is among NFL players, Smith declined to provide a dollar amount but indicated it was between $1,000 and $9,000.
‘The going rate? There are three zeros at the end,” Smith said. “I’m not going to tell you the exact price, but it’ll certainly be good money.”
And Smith has a good jersey number, the same number he wore in Cleveland.
