Vikings announce jersey number changes for several players

A handful of players on Minnesota's 53-man roster have taken new jersey numbers.

Oct 2, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (97) reacts after a fumble recovery against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lincoln Financial Field. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

NFL rosters going from 90 players down to 53 allows for some shuffling of jersey numbers among those who made the cut, given that certain numbers that were previously taken inevitably become available. The Vikings announced six such changes on Tuesday, as well as the jersey numbers for a couple of recently-acquired veterans.

Changes on 53-man roster

WR Myles Price: 4 (was 31)
CB Dwight McGlothern Jr: 6 (was 29)
CB Jeff Okudah: 8 (was 21)
TE Ben Yurosek: 85 (was 48)
DT Javon Hargrave: 97 (was 98)
OLB Bo Richter: 98 (was 54)

One thing you'll often see is undrafted rookies who make the team picking more desirable jersey numbers once that becomes an option. That's true with Price, who goes from 31 to 4, which was previously worn by Rondale Moore (season-ending IR). It's also true with Yurosek. Those are two of the whopping seven undrafted rookies on the Vikings' 53-man roster.

McGlothern, a 2024 UDFA who has made the team in back-to-back years, is opting for a single-digit number, which have become highly popular since the NFL loosened its longtime positional restrictions on jersey number selections. LB Brian Asamoah II used to wear 6. Okudah is also going for a single-digit number; his 8 was previously worn by Sam Howell, who was traded to the Eagles.

Hargrave is going back to 97, which he wore for a couple seasons with the Eagles. That number previously belonged to Harrison Phillips, who was traded to the Jets. Richter is taking back 98, which he wore last year as a rookie but gave up when Hargrave arrived.

New additions

WR Adam Thielen: 19
QB Carson Wentz: 11

No surprises here. Thielen has always been No. 19. Wentz has worn 11 for basically his entire career. Those were held by WR Dontae Fleming and QB Brett Rypien, respectively, during training camp.

Practice squad

RB Xazavian Valladay: 35 (was 47)
TE Bryson Nesbit: 83 (was 46)
WR Dontae Fleming: 89 (was 19)
CB Fabian Moreau: 23
S K'Von Wallace: 20
OL Max Pircher: 63

The bottom three are recent additions to Minnesota's practice squad. Moreau and Wallace are NFL veterans who could be elevated to the active roster for additional secondary depth.