The downside of being traded to a new team is that you might not end up getting the number you want, well, unless you’re willing to pay for it and that’s exactly what Za’Darius Smith did after being dealt from Cleveland to Detroit on Nov. 5.
Smith had been wearing No. 99 with the Browns since the start of the 2023 season, but after he landed in Detroit, the Lions told him that keeping that number wouldn’t be an option.
“I came in and I signed and they was like, ‘Man, you got three options, you can get any number in the 70s, any numbers in the 80s, and I think it was 60s.’ And I was like, ‘No way,'” Smith told the media on Friday.
Smith didn’t like any of his options, so he came up with another idea.
“I was like, ‘Who have No. 99?’ And they told me who it was, and we looked his number up and called him real quick,” Smith said.
The man they called was Lions defensive tackle Brodric Martin, who was wearing No. 99 when the season started, but he won’t be wearing it anymore after selling it. Smith wouldn’t reveal how much he paid, but he did offer a hint.
“The going rate? I’m going to say there’s three zeros on the end of that,” Smith said.
If it had three zeros at the end, that means Smith paid somewhere between $1,000 and $9,000.
“I’m not going to tell you the exact price, but for sure, he’s going to have some good money, put some gas in his car,” Smith said.
In the end, the three-time Pro Bowler got the number he wanted.
“Thankful to [Martin], a guy from Alabama, man, Tuscaloosa,” Smith said. “Had a chance to talk to him for a little while and I had to pay up a little bit, but all is well. I got No. 99 now.”
Normally, players aren’t allowed to change numbers in the middle of the season, but since Martin hasn’t appeared in a game yet this year, the switch was allowed to happen and Martin will now wear No. 96 while Smith will get 99.
Although Smith got his number, you likely won’t be seeing it on the field in Week 10. According to NFL.com, Smith isn’t expected to play against the Texans. If Smith had stayed in Cleveland, he would have had a bye this week with the Browns and it looks like the the Lions are going to give him the week off rather than ask him to play 18 games.