Sometimes, good things are worth the wait.
Vikings running back Dalvin Cook might not have said the above words verbatim, but he reportedly saved over $1 million by waiting a season to take advantage of the changes in the NFL’s jersey number rules to switch to No. 4 for the 2022 season.
To add context to Cook’s cost-saving move, NFL rules mandated him to buy out the existing inventory of retail-ready No. 33 jerseys if he were to change his number during the 2021 season. Instead of shelling out the cash, Cook played out the 2021 season wearing No. 33 and, ahead of the 2022 NFL season, switched to No. 4, which he wore while torching ACC defenses during his time at Florida State.
Cook isn’t the only former Seminole to change back to his collegiate number, as Chargers safety Derwin James has dropped a digit to go from wearing No. 33 during the first two seasons of his career to wearing No. 3 in 2022.
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Cook and James are two of many notable players who have made the change ahead of the upcoming campaign. Here’s all you need to know about the NFL’s jersey number changes ahead of the 2022 season.
What is the NFL jersey number rule?
Beginning in the 2021 season, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, linebackers and defensive backs were given more number options, with each of the groups receiving clearance to have single-digit uniform numbers.
In addition to single digits, running backs can wear numbers in the teens or the 80s, tight ends and wide receivers can wear numbers 30 through 49 and defensive backs can also wear numbers in the teens.
Here is how the number groupings break down:
| Position group | Number options | Previous number options |
| Quarterbacks | 1-19 | 1-19 |
| Running backs | 1-49, 80-89 | 20-49 |
| Wide receivers | 1-49, 80-89 | 10-19, 80-89 |
| Tight ends | 1-49, 80-89 | 40-49, 80-89 |
| Offensive line | 50-79 | 50-79 |
| Defensive line | 50-79, 90-99 | 50-79, 90-99 |
| Linebackers | 1-59, 90-99 | 40-59, 90-99 |
| Defensive backs | 1-49 | 20-49 |
| Kickers | 1-19 | 1-19 |
| Punters | 1-19 | 1-19 |
NFL number changes 2022
Including Cook and James, there is a large group of veterans that will be sporting new looks during the upcoming NFL season, including Panthers wide receiver Robbie Anderson, who is accompanying a change in the spelling of his first name with a switch from No. 11 to No. 6.
| Team | Player | Position | New Number | Old Number |
| Atlanta Falcons | Lorenzo Carter | LB | 9 | 59 |
| Baltimore Ravens | Rashod Bateman | WR | 7 | 12 |
| Baltimore Ravens | James Proche | WR | 3 | 11 |
| Buffalo Bills | Jaquan Johnson | CB | 4 | 46 |
| Buffalo Bills | Taron Johnson | CB | 7 | 24 |
| Buffalo Bills | Isaiah McKenzie | WR | 6 | 19 |
| Buffalo Bills | Andre Smith | LB | 9 | 59 |
| Carolina Panthers | Robbie Anderson | WR | 3 | 11 |
| Cleveland Browns | Amari Cooper | WR | 2 | 89 |
| Dallas Cowboys | Anthony Brown | CB | 3 | 30 |
| Dallas Cowboys | Kelvin Joseph | CB | 1 | 24 |
| Dallas Cowboys | Jourdan Lewis | CB | 2 | 26 |
| Denver Broncos | Randy Gregory | DE | 5 | 94 |
| Detroit Lions | DJ Chark | WR | 4 | 17 |
| Detroit Lions | DeShon Elliott | S | 5 | 32 |
| Detroit Lions | Jeff Okudah | CB | 1 | 23 |
| Detroit Lions | Josh Reynolds | WR | 8 | 18 |
| Green Bay Packers | Dallin Leavitt | S | 6 | 32 |
| Houston Texans | Marlon Mack | RB | 2 | 25 |
| Houston Texans | Tremon Smith | CB | 1 | 24 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | Ronald Jones II | RB | 2 | 27 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | JuJu Smith-Schuster | WR | 9 | 19 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | Gerald Everett | TE | 7 | 81 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | Derwin James | S | 3 | 33 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | Kyle Van Noy | LB | 8 | 53 |
| Los Angeles Rams | Cam Akers | RB | 3 | 23 |
| Los Angeles Rams | Troy Hill | CB | 2 | 23 |
| Los Angeles Rams | Allen Robinson | WR | 1 | 12 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | Tyron Johnson | WR | 1 | 17 |
| Miami Dolphins | Jevon Holland | S | 8 | 22 |
| Minnesota Vikings | Dalvin Cook | RB | 4 | 33 |
| Minnesota Vikings | Cam Dantzler | CB | 3 | 27 |
| Minnesota Vikings | Alexander Mattison | RB | 2 | 25 |
| New England Patriots | DeVante Parker | WR | 1 | 11 |
| New England Patriots | Jabrill Peppers | S | 3 | 21 |
| New Orleans Saints | Mark Ingram II | RB | 5 | 14 |
| New Orleans Saints | Marcus Maye | S | 6 | 20 |
| New York Jets | Jordan Whitehead | S | 6 | 33 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Zach Pascal | WR | 3 | 14 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Haason Reddick | LB | 7 | 43 |
| San Francisco 49ers | Ray-Ray McCloud | WR | 3 | 14 |
| Seattle Seahawks | Uchenna Nwosu | LB | 10 | 42 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Kyle Rudolph | TE | 8 | 80 |
| Tennessee Titans | Cody Hollister | WR | 8 | 16 |
| Washington Commanders | William Jackson III | CB | 3 | 23 |
The 2022 draft class is the second group of rookies that were able to take advantage of the new rules from Day 1.
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Among notable rookies to take advantage of the rules are top-10 picks Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Drake London.
| Team | Player | Position | Number |
| Atlanta Falcons | Drake London | WR | 5 |
| Baltimore Ravens | Kyle Hamilton | CB | 14 |
| Chicago Bears | Jaquan Brisker | S | 9 |
| Chicago Bears | Kyler Gordon | CB | 6 |
| Detroit Lions | Jameson Williams | WR | 9 |
| Green Bay Packers | Quay Walker | LB | 7 |
| Green Bay Packers | Christian Watson | WR | 9 |
| Houston Texans | Jalen Pitre | S | 5 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Devin Lloyd | LB | 33 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | Bryan Cook | S | 6 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | Skyy Moore | WR | 24 |
| Minnesota Vikings | Lewis Cine | S | 6 |
| New York Giants | Kayvon Thibodeaux | DE | 5 |
| New York Jets | Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner | CB | 1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | Coby Bryant | CB | 8 |
| Seattle Seahawks | Kenneth Walker III | RB | 9 |
| Washington Commanders | Jahan Dotson | WR | 1 |
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