Dolphins Assign Six Players New Jersey Numbers

Second-year running back Jaylen Wright, out of the University of Tennessee, has switched his jersey number from the No. 25 he wore last season to No. 5.

Wright has no history of wearing No. 5, as he wore three different numbers during his time in Knoxville, none of which were No. 5. He started out with No. 23 as a freshman, switched to No. 20 as a sophomore in 2022 and then finally No. 0 in his junior season.

Second-year player Tahj Washington, who was selected in the 2024 NFL draft out of the University of Southern California, missed all of last season as he rehabilitated from a season-ending injury. He will wear jersey No. 7 in 2025.

Washington was assigned No. 83 last season, but never got to sport it. He did wear No. 82 in minicamp, before switching to a different number. Seven was originally issued to backup quarterback Zach Wilson, but Wilson switched to zero.

As a Trojan, Washington rotated from No. 16 to No. 15, and there is no record of him wearing No. 7 while in college or high school.

Cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu will transition from No. 26, which he was issued when he signed as a free agent, to No. 9. When Melifonwu played for the Detroit Lions, he wore jersey No. 6.

Dante Trader Jr., a rookie safety from Maryland, rocked No. 29 during minicamp, but wore No. 12 in College Park. He has switched to No. 25, a jersey made popular by another Dolphins' safety Louis Oliver.

New addition safety Minkah Fitzpatrick will wear No. 29. That is the jersey number he wore during his first tenure with the Dolphins. While in Pittsburgh, he donned No. 39 after his first season with the Steelers, and then decided to keep 39 when he made the Pro Bowl.

Finally, newly acquired tight end Darren Waller has selected Mark Clayton's old number of 83. While a member of the New York Giants, Waller wore No. 12, which represented his commitment to his sobriety. Prior to that, as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders, he wore the traditional No. 83 he will sport this season.