Future Hall of Fame edge rusher Von Miller is officially a part owner of a chicken farm, and he is bringing that same business acumen to his jersey number situation with the Dallas Cowboys. In a move absolutely nobody saw coming, Miller secured his desired No. 40 from fullback Hunter Luepke not with cash, but with equity in his Greener Pastures Chicken company.
The Dream, The Number, And The Obstacle
It is 2026, Miller’s 16th NFL season, and he is living out a childhood dream suiting up for his hometown Dallas Cowboys. Part of that dream always involved wearing No. 40, the number he rocked in high school back in DeSoto and at Texas A&M in college. He even wore it during his stops with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 and the Buffalo Bills from 2022 to 2024. The only snag? Cowboys fullback Hunter Luepke, an undrafted free agent, had owned No. 40 for the last three seasons. Miller wanted it. After a morning practice, Miller had his arm around Luepke, and by Thursday, they had a deal. Luepke is now wearing No. 30.
The Negotiation of Champions, And Chicken
What broke the deadlock and got the number swap done? Miller straight up gave Luepke a piece of his “Greener Pastures Chicken” farm. Yeah, you read that right. A chicken farm. Miller, who typically has his longtime agent Joby Branion handle his $201.7 million on-field earnings, took this negotiation head-on. “It was really the only negotiation that I had to have. It has to be the first in National Football League history that a jersey swap has been done with ownership of a chicken farm,” Miller said with a grin on Thursday. He called Luepke a “business partner” and “a part owner of Greener Pastures Chicken. The chicken of champions.” Apparently, Luepke’s two FCS national championships at North Dakota State made him a “great fit” for the chicken of champions.
Luepke’s Sweet Deal, And A Star-Studded Farm
So, is Luepke getting free chicken for life? Miller confirmed that kind of perk had to be negotiated up front. But even without specific details, Miller thinks “Hunter’s deal is sweet.” Why wouldn’t it be? Luepke now joins an insane roster of investors in Greener Pastures Chicken alongside Miller himself, Patrick Mahomes, Drew Brees, and Nick Foles. “Throwing Hunter Luepke in that conversation as well as a part owner of Greener Pastures Chicken is amazing. I’m excited to have him on board,” Miller said, pumped about his new business partner. This was a win-win, getting him his desired number and bringing Luepke into a unique business venture.
This move is wild, a true first in NFL history, and it sets a whole new bar for jersey swaps. Forget a signed jersey or a dinner out, we are talking long-term equity in an actual business. You have to wonder if other players are looking at their teammates’ numbers and wondering what kind of unexpected assets they can offer up next.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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