Golden Tate has worn several different jersey numbers throughout his NFL career, and he will be making a change once again now that he has signed with the New York Giants. But don’t worry, the veteran wide receiver is sensitive to some of the issues the team has dealt with this offseason.
Tate wore No. 15 with the Detroit Lions before changing to No. 19 last year when he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. He told reporters on Thursday that he will be going back to No. 15 in New York, and he knows No. 13 would probably not be a popular choice.
Golden Tate says he thinks he’ll be wearing No. 15 with the Giants. “Probably too soon for 13, right?”
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoSNY) April 18, 2019
Of course, 13 is the number Odell Beckham Jr. wore while making highlight-reel catches for the Giants over the past five seasons. He has now been traded to the Cleveland Browns, so Tate wisely does not want fans in New York being reminded of OBJ or holding Tate to those standards.
Tate has made it clear he has high expectations for the Giants this season, but he certainly doesn’t expect to take over for Beckham. Going back to his old jersey number is probably a smart choice.
