Von Miller Officially Gets No. 40 From Hunter Luepke

FRISCO, Texas — Von Miller will wear No. 40 for the Dallas Cowboys this season and fullback Hunter Luepke will move to No. 30, the club announced Thursday in a post on its website by staff writer Patrik Walker.

Rookie safety Caleb Downs stays at No. 13.

Dallas published 15 number assignments Thursday afternoon, including those three decisions. Players can still make changes before Week 1, but once the season begins those numbers are locked until the offseason. The Cowboys said Thursday’s list could still change over the next several days.

Von Miller And Hunter Luepke Settle Dallas Cowboys No. 40

Miller agreed to terms with Dallas on Aug. 16 for one year at $5.5 million, with the deal able to reach $7.5 million. Adam Schefter of ESPN first reported the agreement, while Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the terms. Miller has practiced in No. 40 since Aug. 18. The Cowboys were still listing both Miller and Luepke at No. 40 on their roster page as recently as Tuesday.

Miller first reached out to Luepke on Instagram and offered him chicken for life from Greener Pastures Chicken, the 35-acre organic poultry farm in Elgin, Texas, that Miller co-founded. Miller also floated $40,000 to $50,000 for full-body tattoo work. Luepke’s response was to ask for 2% equity in Greener Pastures Chicken.

Miller told the story on the Season 2 premiere of Free Range with Von Miller, his Audacy podcast with TJ Banks.

“Was able to get number 40 from Hunter Luepke, which we had to kind of do some negotiating at first,” Miller said. “He’s been 40 for a long time. It ain’t something that I just can come in and boss hog. When I talked to him about it, I hit him on Instagram, and he was like, we can figure something out. And I came up with the idea, I give him chicken for life.”

Miller declined on the podcast to disclose the final arrangement. The Cowboys described it Thursday as an undisclosed amount of equity in Greener Pastures Chicken.

Miller wore No. 40 at DeSoto High School and at Texas A&M, where he majored in poultry science. He wore No. 58 across nine seasons with the Denver Broncos, No. 40 with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 and the Buffalo Bills from 2022 through 2024, and No. 24 with the Washington Commanders last season. He ruled out No. 58 in Dallas, and he ruled out No. 94, the number DeMarcus Ware wore for the Cowboys.

Denver drafted Miller second overall in 2011. He is an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, a three-time first-team All-Pro, a two-time Super Bowl champion, and the Super Bowl 50 MVP. He was the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2011. Miller, a DeSoto native, turned 37 on March 26.

Luepke has worn No. 40 since Dallas signed him as an undrafted free agent out of North Dakota State in 2023. He wore No. 44 in college. Across three seasons in Dallas, he has 34 carries for 128 yards and 1 touchdown, and 28 receptions for 238 yards and 1 touchdown. Luepke signed a two-year extension on Sept. 3, 2025 worth up to $7.5 million that runs through 2027.

Caleb Downs Keeps No. 13 For Dallas Cowboys

Downs had No. 2 at both Alabama and Ohio State. That number now belongs to cornerback Cobie Durant, who joined Dallas on March 13.

At rookie minicamp in May, Downs wore No. 18. Dallas later listed him at No. 13, a number he has said came from watching Alabama safety Malachi Moore.

Dallas traded up one spot with the Miami Dolphins to select Downs 11th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Full List Of Dallas Cowboys Number Changes

The Cowboys made six number changes earlier in the week. Thursday’s list runs to 15.

• No. 11: Alijah Clark, S
• No. 18: Jonathan Mingo, WR
• No. 23: Ameer Speed, CB
• No. 25: Israel Abanikanda, RB
• No. 30: Hunter Luepke, FB
• No. 31: Emari Demercado, RB
• No. 40: Von Miller, OLB
• No. 47: Mitch Van Vooren, TE
• No. 59: Tyrus Wheat, OLB
• No. 64: Wanya Morris, OT
• No. 77: Broderick Jones, OT
• No. 80: Camden Brown, WR
• No. 81: Jordan Hudson, WR
• No. 90: Jonathan Bullard, DT
• No. 93: Elijah Garcia, DT

Dallas begins the regular season Sept. 13 on the road against the New York Giants. NBC has the 7:20 p.m. CT kickoff from MetLife Stadium.