2024 NFL Off-Season thread

[The Buscher]

Malik Nabers is wearing #9 in rookie camp, likely just a placeholder number as it's also worn by Graham Gano.  A lot of these early round rookies want to wear single digits but their only hope of getting one now is if either Gano or punter Jamie Gillan (#6) are willing to sell up.  Brian Burns took #0 when he got traded.  Deonte Banks just took #3 when it freed up from Sterling Shepard's retirement.  Kayvon Thibodeaux actually bought #5 from Gano as a rookie so he's not giving it up.  Jones is #8 which was Nabers' college number but he'll have to wait at least a year for it.  The other 3 single digits are retired.

Which I guess brings a more overarching point that with how many players are on a football team it's kinda ridiculous the Giants have 13 retired numbers especially since half of them were guys who played 70-90 years ago.  The Giants have a Ring of Honor which displays the number of the honored players whether those numbers are retired or not.  Unless their great-grandkids were to put up a huge stink I feel like putting some of those really old retired numbers back into circulation wouldn't be the worst thing.  No disrespect to Ray Flaherty (#1), Tuffy Leemans (#4), or Mel Hein (#7) but that's some prime real estate nowadays!

[gunnar hendershow]

Hasn't the league basically told teams they can't retire jersey numbers anymore?

[The Buscher]

Not to my knowledge - I think part of the idea of lessening the restrictions on jersey numbers was because some of the older teams had started to run out of numbers allowed within a positional group.  But it'd been requested for ages anyway as so many marquee college players came in with numbers out of their allowable ranges.  Probably helps merch sales a bit too to let these guys get "cool" numbers.

[GhostMachine]

There are some numbers that I'm surprised aren't retired by certain teams. Dallas not retiring 88 for Drew Pearson or Michael Irvin, for example. 

 

[Your Mom]

Didn't Dallas just decide they would always give it their best receiver? That seems cooler than retiring it to me. It's like a legacy

[LL!]

Yeah basically. The Cowboys don't retire any jersey numbers. 

[GhostMachine]

Some teams don't officially retire numbers, I know. And some of them that don't just don't assign certain numbers. Washington, for example, hasn't had anyone wear 44 since John Riggins retired.

[Lineker]

Idiots.

[LL!]

 

 

[gunnar hendershow]

"If ass slapping won games, we'd be undefeated" - McCarthy in week 9.

[gunnar hendershow]

This will be prophetic as long as the Ravens coaching staff continues to overthink every playoff game.

[Lineker]

 

[gunnar hendershow]

Thanks for not helping us out at all with the Kyle Hamilton megadeal.

[Lint]

New Details Emerge on ‘Toxic’ Conflict Between Ex-Bears QBs Justin Fields & Nick Foles

[The Buscher]

I threw a question out there on the Giants subreddit about unretiring some of the older numbers given they're all also in the Ring of Honor.  Consensus was overwhelmingly no.  This sorta surprised me given the Reddit crowds usually trend younger but comments were pretty much just "No, this is a way to remember older generations and if it means some kid doesn't get the number they want, too bad."

But then I remembered it was also the Giants 100th season this year so there's no way they were gonna do it this year anyway (not that Mara was ever going to).  I'd argue it'd actually be the best timing to honor those guys and mention giving their numbers to the next generation to carry on their legacy but whatever.

They announced a bunch of stuff they're doing for the 100th season.  They're also doing a March Madness style bracket on social media to vote on the best play in team history.  It's all a bit of a formality because everyone and their brother knows it's the Tyree Helmet Catch, likely against Manning-to-Manningham sideline catch in the finals.  But just looking through the list of plays brought back some nice memories.

[Lineker]

 

[The Buscher]

Funny to think when that trade happened that Goff was just viewed as a throw-in placeholder QB to hold the fort for a year or two until they can draft their guy.  He's adapted to that system perfectly.

[Lint]

Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker bashes Pride Month, tells women to stay in the kitchen

[LL!]

Haha Butt-ker

[Lint]

 

Guys guys...the funniest thing could happen