New Vikings tight end Josh Oliver is replacing Irv Smith Jr. this season, and he's also taking his jersey number, the 84 that Hall of Famer Randy Moss made iconic in Minnesota.
Oliver becomes the fifth Vikings player to wear 84 since Moss was traded to the Raiders in 2005. Every time a new player gets that number in Minnesota, it sparks a renewed discussion about whether or not it should be retired to honor one of the greatest Vikings ever.
The argument in favor of retiring 84 is that it became synonymous with Moss during his time with the Vikings. "Pull your 84 jerseys out," he famously once said. Moss is arguably the most talented player to ever wear a Vikings uniform. He set the NFL on fire after being drafted 21st overall in 1998, with a rookie of the year, three first team All-Pro nods, and five Pro Bowls in his first six seasons. He's one of the biggest stars in the history of the franchise.
There are a few arguments against retiring 84, one being the simple practicality of retiring numbers. The Vikings already have six retired numbers, and with 90 players on the offseason roster each year, there isn't much room for more. Some teams do have more than six, though, and you can certainly make cases for 84, 81 (Carl Eller), and 93 (John Randle) to join the list in Minnesota.
Moss also only spent eight seasons with the Vikings, one of which is a messy partial year in 2010. Had he spent longer with the franchise, his number might currently be retired. Some antics on and off the field during his Minnesota tenure also complicate his legacy a bit.
From 2020: Should the Minnesota Vikings Retire Any Other Jersey Numbers?
In 2007, Aundrae Allison became the first Vikings player to wear 84 since Moss's departure. He was followed by Michael Jenkins in 2011. In 2013, the Vikings gave 84 to first-round pick Cordarrelle Patterson, which Moss publicly called out as "disrespectful."
"First of all, that’s disrespectful, to give a rookie my number," Moss said on FOX. "I don’t really believe in numbers, but I think that from a professional standpoint, I did make that number. And for them to give him that number, he hasn’t proven anything yet. But, hey, what can I say, I’m just Randy Moss sitting here in the studio."
After Patterson left the Vikings, no one wore 84 in the regular season until another rookie, Smith, the team's second-round pick in 2019. Moss changed his tune when that happened, saying "the jersey is just a number" and wishing Smith the best.
Now, with Smith joining the Bengals this offseason, Oliver is taking over 84. It's been a clear for a while that the Vikings have no plans to retire that number — and that Moss is no longer upset about it — but that doesn't stop some fans from being upset.
Oliver, signed this offseason because of his blocking prowess, wore 84 for the Ravens over the last two seasons. The Vikings are excited about what he'll bring to Kevin O'Connell's offense in two-tight end sets.
Here are all of the jersey numbers for new Vikings veterans. You can find all of the numbers for the team's rookies here.
- TE Josh Oliver: 84
- CB Byron Murphy Jr: 7
- OLB Marcus Davenport: 0
- WR Brandon Powell: 19
- CB Joejuan Williams: 29
- DL Sheldon Day: 52
- OLB Curtis Weaver: 54
- LB Troy Reeder: 59
- DL Dean Lowry: 94
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