The Dallas Cowboys are high on KaVontae Turpin.

That's been clear since early in training camp when pretty much the entire coaching staff praised the former USFL's MVP.

John Fassel – who will likely get the most out of Turpin – mentioned he had him on his radar since 2018. Kellen Moore said he had a role for him on the offensive side of things. Throughout the Cowboys' preseason, we've seen convincing evidence of what they mean.

But one thing about Turpin will change when the regular season starts.

His jersey number. The team announced on Thursday that the starting returner for the Cowboys would wear #9 during the season after wearing #2 during the summer.

The elephant in the room? That was quarterback Tony Romo's number. Now granted, this isn't the first time the Cowboys let someone wear #9 after Romo's career. Just last year, Jaylon Smith wore it briefly before being released in October.

However, it's still meaningful to wear the number of the career passing leader of the Dallas Cowboys. Super Bowl wins or not, Romo is an important part of the team's history. To let a player wear it means a vote of confidence from the front office and coaching staff. It means they trust you to play up to a certain standard.

Jaylon Smith, for example, failed to live up to it. But the Cowboys – mistakenly as hindsight confirms – trusted him enough. Not to mention, the linebacker had a great reason to ask for the number as it had a huge personal meaning.

But it won't be a light jersey for Turpin to wear in a season for which he set the bar high with a two-touchdown performance in the preseason. "It's just a jersey number," some might think. And they're definitely right. But fans – and even players – care about this kind of stuff. As irrational as it might be, it's a huge part of why we love sports.

So yeah, it's just a jersey number. That's exactly the point, though.

Having said that, there's no reason to be upset about the change. The Cowboys haven't retired a number other than 8, 12, and 22. And even those jersey numbers have not been officially retired. They're just not handed to any player.

Instead, the Cowboys like to give iconic players to those they have high hopes for. Randy Gregory getting #94 was a message. The same for Sam Williams getting #54 and Jaylon Smith before him. Or how can we forget the tradition of #88?

Instead of being upset about it, Cowboys Nation should likely be excited about Turpin.

Featured image via Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports