Cutler gets to have his No. 6, after an exchange of money.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Brandon Doughty respects his elders, but he also respects league traditions.
So although Doughty initially said cash didn’t change hands between him and newly acquired quarterback Jay Cutler for Doughty’s jersey number (6), cash did change hands, honoring a longtime NFL tradition.
“We worked something out,” Doughty said with a smile Tuesday.
It turns out Doughty, the former North Broward Prep standout and the Dolphins’ 2016 seventh-round pick from Western Kentucky, merely wanted to protect Cutler’s privacy and the specifics of the deal.
That was the case when Doughty was asked how much he received for the number.
“He’s a vet, man,” Doughty said of Cutler. “He’s done a lot of things, I haven’t done anything yet. So it was kind of a mutual thing we had. Just a lot of respect for that guy, for sure.”
It was the case again when he said he gave Cutler the jersey for free. And again when Doughty smiled and said he wished it would have been a four-figure transaction.
Cutler has worn No. 6 for his entire career — three seasons in Denver, and eight seasons in Chicago.
Doughty wore No. 6 since joining the Dolphins last season. He now wears No. 7, which used to belong to wide receiver Jordan Westerkamp, an undrafted rookie from Nebraska. Westerkamp now wears No. 1.
Regardless of the payoff, Doughty seems genuinely impressed with Cutler.
“I’ve only really been around him for a day,” Doughty said after Tuesday’s practice, “and he’s been all good. Really, really has. Good guy.
“I respect him a lot, I can pick at his mind. It’s just another guy I can pick at his mind. I picked at Ryan’s (Tannehill), I picked at Matt’s (Moore), and now I can pick at Jay’s. It’s pretty cool having another vet guy in there for sure.”