The funniest subplot of the Dallas Cowboys' preseason has been resolved. Von Miller now owns No. 40 and Hunter Luepke owns part of a chicken farm.
Shortly after Dallas signed the free agent and future Hall of Famer Miller, he revealed he wanted to wear the No. 40 that he wore at DeSoto High School (Dallas area) and at Texas A&M, with the snag that it was already held by the fullback Luepke.
To that end Miller, the co-founder and co-owner of the organic poultry farm Greener Pastures Chicken, offered Luepke a lifetime supply of chicken. He may have underestimated Luepke’s bargaining skills and now Luepke is
evidently a business partner.
"Being the great negotiator he is, he was like, 'How about equity in Greener Pastures Chicken?'" Miller said on his Free Range podcast. "I was like, 'It's something that we could probably work out.' … ‘We kind of had to do some negotiating at first. He's been 40 for a long time. It ain't something that I can just come in and Boss Hogg."
Miller said he was 90% certain he had a deal, and now it's 100%, official. Miller is in No. 40 and Luepke is moving to No. 30. This may come as a relief to anyone who bought a $150 Von Miller jersey. The amount of equity he received is undisclosed, but there is likely plenty of chicken in the future for both of them.
In other news, Caleb Downs is now officially in the No. 13 he has worn for most of the preseason.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached, bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Cowboys' Von Miller lands No. 40 by making Luepke a business partner
