Carson Wentz will have a new number when he debuts for the Indianapolis Colts. The quarterback has worn No. 11 since his college days with the North Dakota State Bison, but he won’t be able to rock the number with the Colts after a teammate denied his request.
Wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. currently wears No. 11 for the Colts. Wentz reportedly asked Pittman if he’d be interested in switching numbers following the trade that brought the 28-year-old quarterback to Indy last week, but Pittman said he wanted to keep the number.
TMZ spoke to Pittman about his exchange with Wentz and here’s what he said:
“Yeah, so I spoke to [Carson] and he was just seeing how locked in I was to #11, and I told him I was locked in — and he was like, ‘That’s cool, bro, because I’m probably gonna switch anyway.’”
“He asked me very respectfully and I just appreciated him for that. I think he’s a great dude, because lots of guys with his status, they would come in and demand and stuff like that.”
Wentz last wore a number other than No. 11 at Century High School in Bismarck, North Dakota when he was No. 20 on the football field and No. 50 on the basketball court. He won’t be able to wear either of those numbers with the Colts because of NFL rules on which numbers quarterbacks can wear.
Who is Michael Pittman Jr.?
Michael Pittman Jr. is a wide receiver out of USC who the Colts selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft with the No. 34 overall pick. Pittman ended his rookie year with 40 receptions for 503 yards and one touchdown. He had a breakout game in the Colts’ opening round playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, finishing with five catches for 90 yards.
Pittman is the son of Michael Pittman, a former NFL running back who was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Super Bowl XXXVII-winning team. You might remember Pittman rushed for 124 yards in that victory over the Oakland Raiders.
What number will Carson Wentz wear with the Colts?
NFL quarterbacks are allowed to wear numbers 1-19. The Colts have two numbers retired in that range: No. 18 for Peyton Manning, and No. 19 for Johnny Unitas.
We’ll keep you updated when we know which number Wentz will wear in Indy.