Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence has officially claimed his preferred jersey number, No. 97, after teammate Shemar Stewart agreed to transfer the number for an undisclosed fee.
Stewart shared the details of the exchange during a press conference this week. "Man, he earned that, so it's his number," Stewart said, via reporter Noelle Blumel of WCPO. "So I had no right to keep that number."
The brief negotiation between Lawrence and Stewart was straightforward. Stewart recalled Lawrence asking, "Dex [was] like, 'What you want for the number?'" Stewart responded with "a reasonable number," to which Lawrence agreed. "Here, I told him, like, 'I'm not gonna be the one to stop you from getting your number. I'm not that type of guy. You're probably like a walking legend,'" Stewart added.
Following the transfer, Stewart has adopted No. 94, a number previously worn by defensive end Sam Hubbard from 2018 through 2024. Defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson, who wore No. 94 in 2025, has since switched to No. 68.
Related articles
Report: Josh Mauro died of accidental drug overdose
Former NFL defensive end Josh Mauro died last month at 35. Via the California Post, authorities have determined that Mauro's death occurred as a resul...
Anthony Richardson: Colts are giving me a chance to work and potentially get back on the field
'' Anthony Richardson wants a trade, and the Colts would love to trade him. But what has been described as a "soft market" by Adam Schefter of ESPN le...
Trevor Lawrence didn't get a schedule-release haircut
One of the great mysteries of the 2026 offseason has been solved.Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence did not actually get a haircut as part of the tea...
Steelers sign first-round OT Max Iheanachor
The Steelers signed first-round offensive tackle Max Iheanachor to his four-year rookie deal, the team announced Friday.Iheanachor, who played at Ariz...
Current rules allow up to eight prime-time games per team
At a time when NFL rules regarding game broadcasts have taken a back seat to the importance of flexibility to program a growing number of standalone w...
Patrick Mahomes is back playing golf
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is "making progress" in his rehab from major knee surgery, coach Andy Reid said Thursday. Reid, though, made it cle...
Seahawks' schedule has them playing on every day of the week except Tuesday
The NFL is increasingly moving games off Sundays to play them on other days of the week, when TV networks and streaming platforms will pay more money...
Tom Brady will call his first game in New England in Week 9
Tom Brady has spent the past two seasons working as a broadcaster for Fox. He has yet to call a game in New England.That will change this season.Fox a...