The newest member of the Pittsburgh Steelers has chosen a jersey number that should be rather familiar to fans of the team.
Daryl Porter Jr., who signed with the Steelers following a workout during their off day from training camp on Monday, has settled on wearing No. 39 for the team.
That number, of course, most recently belonged to safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who was traded to the Miami Dolphins on June 30 for cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith.
Fitzpatrick wore No. 29 throughout his time at Alabama and during his initial stint with the Dolphins, who selected him in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He was later dealt to Pittsburgh for a package headlined by a 2020 first-rounder before Week 3 of the 2019 campaign amidst a massive rebuild in Miami.
No. 29 belonged to Kameron Kelly when Fitzpatrick first joined the Steelers, so he chose No. 39 instead, which safety Darren Perry (1992 – 1998) and running back Willie Parker (2004 – 2009) had previously made famous in Pittsburgh.
Fitzpatrick blossomed into one of the league’s top safeties during his time with the Steelers, making five Pro Bowls and earning three first-team All-Pro nominations while recording 516 tackles and 18 interceptions in 88 games.
He’s back to wearing No. 29 now that he’s returned to the Dolphins, and he’ll look to carve out a new legacy with the franchise that drafted him over seven years ago.
Porter Jr., on the other hand, will wear No. 39 for the first time in either his collegiate or professional career. The 23-year-old first wore No. 28 during his freshman year at West Virginia in 2020 before switching to No. 2 ahead of his sophomore season in 2021.
Upon transferring to Miami in 2022, Porter Jr. donned No. 5. He’d change to No. 2 in 2023, however, and would stick with it for the rest of his time with the Hurricanes.
Porter Jr., who is not related to Joey, signed with the Buffalo Bills this spring after going undrafted. He wore No. 38 for the team before being released on July 28.
