Strange NFL Rule Forced Packers' Darnell Savage to Rethink Number Change
By Kevin Aquino
Darnell Savage's transition to become "21 Savage" will not take place this season, after the Packers safety opted to remain with No. 26 on his jersey.
The NFL, which is partnered with Nike, has a policy that the player requesting a number switch has to buy the entire stock of would-be outdated jerseys in order for the number switch to go through.
Mark Murphy on @darnellsavage_’s jersey number switch back to 26: “The league has a policy that if a certain number of jerseys are purchased, the player, if he changes his number, has to pay for the cost of the jerseys that were already made, so it was a pretty significant cost.”
— Andrew LaCombe (@andrewlacombe) September 5, 2019
Savage, who was taken 21st overall in this year's draft, decided to hold onto his money and save a portion of his $3.1 million average salary for a rainy day.
NBA icon LeBron James found himself in a similar situation, wanting to revert back to his Miami days of wearing No. 6 in order to gift new-Laker Anthony Davis with the coveted No. 23, only to be denied by the league and Nike.
Savage was able to don No. 21 for some of training camp after getting his wisdom teeth taken out, but will wear No. 26 when the 2019 NFL season begins.
Darnell Savage changed his number to 21 ??
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) September 1, 2019
(via @packers) pic.twitter.com/L7yHnTbOAj
The rapper whose name inspired Savage's intended number change hasn't said anything regarding the situation, but 21 Savage and Darnell Savage linking up to buy the rest of the Green Bay No. 26 stock would've been a partnership we'd have loved to see.