Broncos rookie just made extremely controversial move before the season

To some players, a jersey number means absolutely everything. We've heard Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin talk about how much it has meant to him to be back in his usual jersey No. 11, and we just recently saw rookie cornerback Jahdae Barron ditch the No. 12 for a much more traditional cornerback No. 23.

For rookie running back RJ Harvey, a lot has been made of his No. 37 this offseason. Some fans in Broncos Country absolutely loathed how it looked on him (or any player, for that matter), while others recognize that it's been a number worn by some studs in the past (like former Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander) and hasn't really had anyone in Broncos history create a legacy just yet.

But Harvey wasn't digging it either, and he made a controversial switch. Many assumed he would change his number, but most also assumed that he would go to a single-digit like 4 or 5. Well, Harvey's number switch is in, and it's an interesting one...

Broncos rookie RB RJ Harvey switches to jersey No. 12 before 2025 season

Over the course of Denver Broncos history, and certainly over the last 30 years, nobody all that notable has worn the No. 12 jersey. Well, nobody we all really want to remember that much, anyway.

With all due respect to players like Gus Frerotte and Andre Caldwell, the No. 12 has been worn by the likes of Kwon Alexander, Mike Ford, Montrell Washington, and arguably the biggest draft bust in franchise history: Paxton Lynch.

Needless to say, it's not a number that's got a lot of fond memories attached to it in recent Denver Broncos history, nor is it a number that's typically associated with running backs.

And maybe that's what's drawing Harvey to it. He wore No. 7 while he was at UCF, but that number is obviously not available in Denver. He also wore 22, but that's currently being worn by standout safety Brandon Jones.

With the NFL only recently adopting the current jersey number rules it has, it's extremely difficult to. find examples of a running back throughout history that has worn the jersey No. 12. That gives RJ Harvey the opportunity to carve out his own legacy in the number, not only because it's uncommon for running backs, but because it's been borderline cursed in Denver.

This, as you would expect, has not been an overly popular decision among Broncos fans, but if defensive players are seeing the back of Harvey's jersey and he's making plays for the Broncos, nobody's going to care what number he's wearing.