FRISCO, Texas — Von Miller and Hunter Luepke both wear No. 40. Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Monday at The Star that he will not get involved.
The NFL opened single-digit numbers to every position other than offensive linemen and defensive linemen. Schottenheimer said the change has made things difficult on head coaches.
A player came to Schottenheimer around the third or fourth week of last season, disappointed because he believed Dallas was going to take his number, Schottenheimer said.
“You stay out of it. At least my deal is you stay out of it. Well, no, you guys can be involved. You guys can be involved all you want. Actually, I really don’t care,” Schottenheimer said. “But that was literally, and I won’t share, I’ll share the story. I won’t tell you who. But last year, I think it was like the third or fourth week of the season, we had a player come in and was really disappointed because he thought we were going to take his jersey number from him.”
“And I said, no, take a deep breath. We’re not doing that to you. It’s not for us to decide,” Schottenheimer continued. “And so the locker room, if it’s built on having real hard conversations and true, honest relationships, then I’m never going to yank a jersey from a guy. And so they work it out. And if they can’t work it out, then we’ll find other solutions.”
“But ever since the league changed it to these single-digit numbers that everyone other than offensive linemen and defensive linemen could wear it, they’ve made it really difficult on head coaches,” Schottenheimer added. “And so our protocol went in place that day. I said, I’m not getting involved. You guys figure it out. And they usually find a way.”
How Von Miller And Hunter Luepke Ended Up On The Same Number
Miller wore No. 40 at Texas A&M, with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, and with the Buffalo Bills from 2022 to 2024. He wore No. 58 in Denver and No. 24 in Washington last season. He has said he will not wear No. 94 because it belongs to DeMarcus Ware in Dallas.
Miller and Luepke both wore No. 40 at the Aug. 18 practice in Oxnard, according to Clarence Hill Jr. of DLLS and Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Miller told reporters that day he had made offers to Luepke, including a lifetime supply of chicken from Greener Pastures Chicken, the poultry farm he co-founded in Elgin, Texas. Miller majored in poultry science at Texas A&M.
Hunter Luepke’s Role In Dallas
Luepke is in his fourth season with Dallas. He wore No. 44 at North Dakota State. He played all 17 games last season with 5 starts, ran 16 times for 71 yards, and caught 13 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. He also recorded 13 tackles.
What Is Left Before Dallas Cowboys Cuts
Dallas practices in front of fans at The Star on Tuesday and Wednesday. The preseason closes Friday against the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium. Kickoff is 7 p.m. CT on CBS.
Rosters must be at 53 players by 5 p.m. CT on Sunday, Aug. 30. Waiver claims are due at noon CT the next day.
