It looks like Eric Decker will be keeping his No. 87 jersey with the New York Jets, but his lucky number did not come cheap. Jets tight end Jeff Cumberland has worn No. 87 in New York the last several years, and the 26-year-old knew better than to just hand it over. He reportedly made his new teammate pay.
According to Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News, Decker had to pay Cumberland $25,000 and take him out to a steak dinner in exchange for his No. 87. Cumberland will now wear No. 85.
Cumberland is a little-known player who caught just 26 passes for 398 yards last year, but that doesn’t mean he has to let a star receiver stroll in and just take his number. We have heard of that happening before in the NFL, so props to Cumberland for standing his ground.
When you take into consideration how much Darrelle Revis allegedly paid for his No. 24 in Tampa Bay, Decker may have gotten a deal.
