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James Harrison has signed a contract w/ the @Steelers. He will wear No. 92. Looks like Daniel McCullers is shopping for a new uni number
— Bob Labriola (@BobLabriola) September 23, 2014
James Harrison has signed his contract, so the next order of business is getting his No. 92 jersey back.
Sorry Big Dan McCullers, let's get you another number, hoss.
The team reserved Brett Keisel's No. 99 jersey, likely because they planned to re-sign him during training camp - which they did. The plan wasn't to bring Harrison back the way they did, but injuries change most things. What's that about best-laid plans?
Harrison should be expected to suit up Sunday when the Steelers take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and, with that, No. 92 should be worn in a game for the first time this season. The rookie McCullers may not have much of a choice but to follow proper etiquette, and Harrison probably should offer him a little something in return. A few grand perhaps.
Ex-Redskins running back Clinton Portis got into a legal spat with former teammate Ifeanyi Ohalete over a jersey number back in 2005. Portis agreed to pay Ohalete a certain amount for the use of No. 26 when he was traded to Washington that off-season. Ohalete was eventually released and Portis decided that was enough to break their agreement. It ended up in court and the whole thing was a mess.
Even McCullers, standing 6-foot-7, 352 pounds, doesn't want to make things difficult for Harrison. Ex-Vikings punter Chris Kluwe asked Donovan McNabb to do three things in order to get his No. 5 jersey when McNabb joined the Vikings in 2011: buy him an ice cream cone, mention Kluwe's band Tripping Icarus in five press conferences (note: Kluwe's band sucks) and donate $5,000 to a charity Kluwe supported called Kick for a Cure.
The thought of Harrison delivering McCullers an ice cream cone is tempting, but McCullers may just want to avoid the issue altogether and pick his own number, while thanking Mr. Harrison for the honor of keeping it in circulation during his absence.