Von Miller joins the Cowboys with outrageous demands: Offer to team's star player for jersey number
The veteran pass rusher wants his old number back and has come up with a memorable price
After years of talking about what it would mean to play for the team he grew up supporting, Von Miller has finally landed with the Dallas Cowboys . His first problem in Texas, however, has nothing to do with learning the defense or getting back into football shape. It's No.40.
That number currently belongs to fullback Hunter Luepke , and Miller has already started lobbying for it with an offer that is difficult to forget.
“I don’t know what uniform I’mma be. I know, you know, Hunter is 40,” Miller said. “I’m not going to get caught up in the number, but I did make some offers to him already that he can’t really, you know, come off of those. I think, you know, a lifetime supply of chicken would do it.”
The chicken would presumably come from Miller’s Green Patcher’s operation in Texas, making the proposal more than just a throwaway joke.
Why No.40 matters to Von Miller
Miller has worn several numbers during an NFL career that already includes two Super Bowl championships, eight Pro Bowl selections and three first-team All-Pro honors.
His most famous years came in No.58 with the Denver Broncos , but No. 40 has followed him through multiple chapters. He wore it at Texas A&M, then again with the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills .
Last season with the Washington Commanders , Miller wore No.24.
One number he has already ruled out in Dallas is No.94. Miller has said he does not want to wear the number most associated with DeMarcus Ware, the former Cowboys pass-rushing great.
That makes No.40 the natural target, assuming Luepke can be persuaded. A lifetime supply of chicken might at least get the conversation moving.
Cowboys taking time with Miller on the field
The jersey number has provided a light moment, but the Cowboys are being cautious with Miller ’s football workload.
He joined the team in the middle of training camp and has not played since January 4, meaning there is little reason to rush a 36-year-old veteran with 14 NFL seasons behind him.
“We’re not gonna rush him out there,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “There’s no need to do that. It’s more about getting him around the fellas, getting him with Christian Parker and the defensive staff.”
That transition should be helped by Christian Parker ’s familiarity with Miller from their time together in Denver.
The Cowboys are adding a player who recorded nine sacks with the Commanders last season and still believes he can make an impact for a contender.
The bigger priority will be making sure Miller is ready when the regular season begins. Still, if his jersey negotiation goes the way he hopes, No.40 could soon come with the most unusual payment plan in the NFL.
