Some say it’s just a number. But these uniform numbers do matter. There are great players throughout NFL history who are remembered for their numbers. Tom Brady for TB12. Peyton Manning for No. 18. Joe Burrow will be remembered, among many other things, for wearing No. 9.
Dexter Lawrence has worn No. 97 for the first seven seasons of his career. Now, the question is if that will continue in Cincinnati after the Bengals made a landmark trade to acquire the three-time Pro Bowler.
Right now, Shemar Stewart
wears No. 97. Stewart, of course, is only in his second season. He also wore the No. 4 in college. That could mean, based on that, that Stewart will give Lawrence the No. 97 and wear a different number.
“There have been questions…I wanna get it (No. 97. I know Stewart has it right now, but I’m gonna speak to him and see what he wants to do,” Lawrence said at his introductory press conference on Monday.
The only other Bengals uniform numbers available in the 90s are 96 and 91. We all know who wore No. 91 previously.
Stewart said last year when he got to Cincinnati that the Bengals don’t allow defensive linemen to wear numbers outside of the 90s, despite the fact that he wore No. 4 at Texas A&M. But there are always exceptions to the rules, right?
The Bengals did just do something they don’t normally do by trading for Dexter Lawrence. Might as well continue being different, in Stewart’s case.
Lawrence deserves to wear No. 97. That will bring back a lot of memories of Geno Atkins, with Lawrence now the man in the middle of the Bengals’ defensive line.
