T.J. Parker’s Jersey Number Hints that Bills Moved On From Disappointing Veteran

The Buffalo Bills have given T.J. Parker a number that belonged to a veteran defensive tackle who struggled last season.

Clemson defensive end T.J. Parker during the Spring football game in Clemson. | Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Buffalo Bills traded out of Round 1 during the 2026 NFL draft. They actually completed three trades on the same night, setting themselves up to make two selections in the second round on Friday night.

Their first selection was Clemson defensive end T.J. Parker at No. 35, a pick that came with some criticism. Parker, who had 11 sacks in 2024, saw his numbers drop in 2025. He finished with 37 tackles with 9.5 tackles for loss and five sacks.

Still, the Bills believe he has a high floor, something Brian Baldinger agreed with. Baldy did a film breakdown for Parker shortly after he was selected and pointed out how versatile Parker is, showing him inside, outside, and dropping back in coverage.

Bills new number is a reminder of a 2025 free agency whiff

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi after the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

On Saturday, Parker was in Buffalo and expressed his excitement to join the franchise. While speaking with reporters, he wasn't ready to share his new number. Shortly after his first presser, the Bills revealed the number, showing Parker holding a No. 99 jersey on X.

That number most recently belonged to Larry Ogunjobi, a free agency signing during the 2025 offseason. A former third-round pick out of Charlotte for the Cleveland Browns in 2017, Ogunjobi signed a one-year, $8.3 million deal with the Bills.

His tenure got off to a rough start as Ogunjobi was suspended for six games due to violating the NFL's PED policy. Fellow addition Michael Hoecht was also suspended, but Hoecht had an immediate impact before being sent to the IR with a torn Achilles. As for Ogunjobi, he never found his footing in Buffalo.

The veteran played in 10 games and had 19 tackles. He also recorded zero sacks for the first time in his career and was inactive in their playoff win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

History of Buffalo Bills to wear No. 99

Buffalo Bills nose tackle Marcell Dareus gestures to the fans against the New York Jets. | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

In addition to Ogunjobi, here's a list of all the players in Bills' history to wear the No. 99:

Mark Roopenian (1982–1983)
Hal Garner (1985–1991)
James Patton (1993–1994)
Gabe Northern (1996–1999)
Fred Jones (2000–2001)
Maugaula Tuitele (2002)
Jason Jefferson (2005–2007)
Marcus Stroud (2008–2010)
Marcell Dareus (2011–2017)
Harrison Phillips (2018–2021)
Tim Settle (2022–2023)
Casey Toohill (2024)
Larry Ogunjobi (2025)

Marcell Dareus is far and away the best player to wear the number. He spent seven years in Buffalo and had 300 tackles and 35 sacks while making two trips to the Pro Bowl.

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