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GREEN BAY, Wis. -- You can finally order your Julius Peppers jersey. Nearly a month after the All-Pro pass-rusher signed with the Green Bay Packers, the team announced on Monday that he will wear number 56. Peppers has worn number 90 his entire NFL career with the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears. When he signed with the Packers on March 15, that number was not available because nose tackle B.J. Raji, who has worn 90 since he was drafted in 2009, had re-signed one day earlier. The last Packers player to wear 56 was linebacker Terrell Manning, who played one season (2012) and then was released at the end of training camp last year. Linebacker Nick Barnett wore the number from 2003-10. It has traditionally been a linebacker number. Although Peppers has played defensive end his entire NFL career, the Packers plan to use him as a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker that they are calling an elephant position. Coach Mike McCarthy said Peppers will work with linebackers coach Winston Moss rather than defensive line coach Mike Trgovac, who coached Peppers in Carolina. As of late last week, an associate at the Packers Pro Shop said they were not selling Peppers' jerseys because they had not yet been informed by the team what number he would be wearing. The Packers' other recent free-agent signing, defensive tackle Letroy Guion, will wear number 98.
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