49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir is set to elevate his game in 2023 and along with that new look, comes a new number on his jersey.
Lenoir wore No. 0 while at the University of Oregon, and while that is now available for NFL players to wear for the first time in 2023, the third-year defensive back spoke to 49ers insider Matt Maiocco on the latest 49ers Talk podcast and shared why he switched to wearing No. 2 instead.
“I’ve always been a single-digit guy,” Lenoir said. “In Pop Warner, I wore No. 2, so that’s why when they told me it was open, I said, 'Alright, I’ll take No. 2.'"
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The No. 4 was also available for Lenoir’s taking after Emmanuel Moseley signed with the Detroit Lions during free agency, but out of respect for the veteran cornerback, Lenoir went another direction.
“I’ve never worn four before,” Lenoir said. “I just got a lot of respect for him so I didn’t want to get his number. He and [George] Kittle were the first ones to text me when I got drafted, so I’m not going to touch his number, I can’t. He gave me the warm welcome and helped me a lot.”
No. 2 was previously worn by Jason Verrett who suffered a season-ending ACL injury during training camp in 2022. The only remaining available single-digit number is No.1 which was previously worn by Jimmie Ward who signed with the Houston Texans during free agency.
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San Francisco 49ers
Here is the list of 49ers' single-digit jersey numbers, some of which are held by two players until the roster is finalized to 53 players.
No. 3 WR Ray-Ray McCloud
No. 4 K Jake Moody
No. 4 QB Brandon Allen
No. 5 QB Trey Lance
No. 6 WR Danny Gray
No. 7 Charvarius Ward
No. 8 - retired for Hall of Fame QB Steve Young
No. 9 TE Braden Willis