Some of the most legendary uniform numbers in Dallas Cowboys history remain right out there on the field in 2025.
It's not that they're all being worn by legends now. It's just the the Cowboys don't retire jersey numbers.
So each time the Cowboys play this season, you'll see the 33 that Tony Dorsett wore, now donned by Javonte Williams. You'll see the 9 of Tony Romo, now on speedy KaVontae Turpin. And the No. 88 of Michael Irvin has belonged to CeeDee Lamb since he was a rookie.
Dallas does have a few numbers that it essentially keeps off limits. Troy Aikman's 8, Emmitt Smith's 22 and Roger Staubach's 12 don't appear likely to be handed out anytime soon.
But technically, nothing is stopping the Cowboys from doing so.
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Why don't the Cowboys retire jersey numbers?
The Cowboys have chosen to use their Ring of Honor to recognize legendary players.
However, that doesn't stop a particular uniform from being passed down.
The Cowboys gave Irvin's 88 to Lamb as a rookie essentially as a recognition of the hopes for him.
Especially because of the NFL's jersey number restrictions (that have been loosened), there were only so many numbers to go around for certain position groups.
At this point, it doesn't seem likely the Cowboys will ever officially retire numbers. They're too far down the path of not doing so.
That doesn't mean certain digits won't always have historic value.
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