With Davante Adams and Malachi Corley, NFL allows deviation from in-season number change

The NFL doesn’t allow players to change their jersey numbers during the season. Except when it does.

In response to an item we posted six years ago (after the first in-season Amari Cooper trade) regarding the league’s rule against in-season number changes, a reader raised the question of how Jets receiver Malachi Corley was able to give No. 17 to new Jets receiver Davante Adams. (Corley will now pay homage to Richard Todd.)

Here’s the rule, as confirmed by the NFL via Thursday morning email: “For competitive reasons, no player may change his uniform number once the regular season begins. Players on the practice squad that have not been on the Active List for a regular season game are permitted to change jersey numbers in order to make an approved number available for a new player on the Active List. Special exceptions to this rule may be considered by the NFL Football Operations department depending on the circumstances (e.g., player traded to another team).”

Asked how the Corley situation differs from the plan language of the rule, the league pointed out two realities: (1) the policy accounts for a player being traded to another team; and (2) Corley has been on the field for only three plays this season.

The trade exception didn’t allow Cowboys tight end Blake Jarwin to give Cooper No. 89 after a trade in 2018, however. Ditto for the late Demaryius Thomas; when he was traded to the Texans, tight end Jordan Akins already had No. 88.

In this case, the special circumstance that made the difference was that the player giving up the number hasn’t played very much this year.

The broader message? Rules, shmules. As long as the language permits “special exceptions,” we’ll make a special exception whenever we see fit.