KaVontae Turpin Officially Gets No. 9 Dallas Cowboys Jersey from Tony Romo

Turpin's jersey will get a bit of a makeover before kickoff on Sept. 11.

Critics of the Dallas Cowboys often associate the No. 9 with an egregious special-teams error. Over a decade after Tony Romo's ill-fated hold in Seattle, the modern Cowboys might be looking to change the narrative.

Preseason sensation KaVontae Turpin, having made a name for himself in the return game, is set to don the No. 9 when the Cowboys kickoff their 2022-23 season on Sept. 11 against Tampa Bay (7:20 p.m. CT, NBC). The Cowboys' website mentioned that the change was necessitated by the fact that the receiver's preseason No. 2 is already owned by cornerback Jourdan Lewis. 

There was some debate about this for a moment, the idea that Turpin would wear No. 16. But now his "Secret's Out'' debut will come in the old QB's number.

If course, the kid didn't need to get No. 9 - though it should be taken as a sign of respect from the organization, as Romo is quite literally the all-time favorite of owner Jerry Jones.

Romo, the flawed yet accomplished quarterback, is by far the most famous bearer of the new digit in Dallas history. It has been used relatively sparingly since Romo's retirement after the 2016 season, as Turpin will be the first offensive player to wear it in that span. Linebacker Jaylon Smith wore it for four regular season games during the 2021 season while kicker Lirim Hajrullahu had it during the most recent preseason. 

The Cowboys are one of the few teams in professional sports that avoid officially retiring numbers, though certain digits (such as No. 22 for both Bob Hayes and Emmitt Smith) have been taken out of circulation. Most team legends instead end up in the Ring of Honor, a game-day display at AT&T Stadium that has been carried over from Texas Stadium (though not without its share of controversy).

It's safe to say that Turpin earned one of the more lauded numbers in recent Dallas memory: rising from an MVP campaign in the rebooted United States Football League, Turpin became a viral sensation when he earned two special teams scores in the Cowboys' 32-18 preseason win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Aug. 20. 

The NFL's adjusted jersey number rules have allowed receivers and defenders to wear single-digit jerseys during the regular season, as they were normally reserved for quarterbacks and specialists. Trevon Diggs (No. 7) was among those who took advantage, opting to return to the numeral he wore at Alabama. The No. 5 that Turpin wore with the USFL's New Jersey Generals is occupied by punter Bryan Anger. 

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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