Curtis Samuel is switching back to the jersey number he wore at Ohio State.
Samuel, who wore No. 4 for all three of his seasons as a Buckeye (2014-16), will be back in that number this season as he switches to No. 4 from No. 10, the number he’s worn since he was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in 2017.
10 4
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) April 21, 2023
new number for @CurtisSamuel4__ pic.twitter.com/bpdMKIxWnv
NFL wide receivers were not allowed to begin wearing single-digit numbers until 2021, and the No. 4 was worn by Taylor Heinicke in Washington for the past three years. With Heinicke leaving the Commanders for the Atlanta Falcons this offseason, however, Samuel’s old number opened up for him to wear it once again.
He joins Parris Campbell, who will wear No. 0 for the New York Giants, as NFL receivers from Ohio State switching jersey numbers this offseason. Garrett Wilson also announced this week that he plans to switch back to No. 5 next year, though he’ll still be wearing No. 17 for the New York Jets this year.
Samuel is entering his third season in Washington, where he plays alongside fellow former Ohio State receiver Terry McLaurin. After missing most of his first season as a Commander due to injury, Samuel bounced back last season, catching 64 passes for 656 yards and four touchdowns and adding 38 carries for 187 yards and another touchdown.
