Some jersey housekeeping for you guys to keep track of. According to the Steelers’ website, Joe Haden has officially changed his number from 21 to 23. Sean Davis has also done a number swap, going from 28 to 21.
Haden hinted at the move earlier in the week, posting this to Twitter.
23 is what Haden wore throughout his career in Cleveland. It was a number occupied in Pittsburgh by Mike Mitchell, Haden was unsuccessful in trying to buy it from him, but with Mitchell’s release, it’s now free of charge. Last year, Haden took Robert Golden’s number, who moved from 21 to 20.
Davis is reverting back to the jersey he wore at Maryland, #21. Maybe a little change of scenery will be good for him after a tough 2017 season.
Both players will be counted on in 2018 after the front office cleared house of a large chunk of the secondary, dumping Mike Mitchell, William Gay, and Golden. Haden also tweeted earlier this week this is the first offseason in years he isn’t coming off surgery or major injury, allowing him to put complete focus on football instead of rehab. Good timing for a guy who gets to enjoy a full offseason with the team after getting thrown into the fire as a last-second addition when the Cleveland Browns cut him late in the preseason. Davis’ position for this season is up in the air after the addition of Morgan Burnett but it seems likely he’ll be replacing Mitchell at free safety.
