Wan'Dale Robinson announced on Thursday that he will wear No. 4 for the Tennessee Titans to honor his late friend Rondale Moore, saying he went into the offseason intent on a single-digit number and picked 4 because Moore wore it.
"I was going in wanting a single digit, and then also my late friend, Rondale Moore, he wore No. 4. So that was kind of the reasoning behind me getting that number. Just kind of to honor him and the time that he was here. That's where I was going in, I wanted No. 4. I don't know about Carnell and exactly what went on with him and Chim. But, yeah, I was good with leaving 17 in the past," Robinson said. He added more bluntly elsewhere: "I didn't want it."
The move settles a small but public roster question after the Titans added Robinson and first-round pick Carnell Tate this offseason. Robinson spent four seasons wearing No. 17 in New York and arrived in Tennessee after his first 1,000-yard campaign in 2025. With Chimere Dike already holding No. 17 in Tennessee and Tate wearing No. 17 at Ohio State before taking No. 14 with the Titans, Robinson chose to make the switch and carry Moore's number onto the field.
Robinson's choice is personal, not symbolic marketing. He and Moore were Louisville-area natives who trained at a facility together and forged a long bond as undersized receivers who nonetheless reached the NFL. Moore died in February from a self-inflicted gunshot wound; Robinson said their friendship stretched back years and that honoring Moore with No. 4 felt natural to him.
The background matters because it explains why Robinson declined to keep No. 17 despite having worn it for four seasons. The number was familiar — and successful — but it no longer felt like Robinson's to hold in Tennessee. His move west included rejoining offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and a projected slot role alongside quarterback Cam Ward; the jersey change will be visible every time he lines up in that role.
There is a quietly awkward roster wrinkle beneath the tribute. Carnell Tate, the club's rookie, had previously worn No. 17 at Ohio State, and Chimere Dike already had claim to the number with the Titans. Robinson addressed the overlap in his explanation, noting he didn't know all the details of how the other decisions played out and emphasizing his own decision to move on.
For fans and teammates the switch settles the question of what Robinson will wear and reframes a number as a public remembrance rather than a novelty. Robinson will take the field for Tennessee in No. 4; beyond that, he has not announced any additional tribute plans tied to Moore's memory. The jersey change turns a quiet private friendship into something visible every Sunday — a deliberate choice by a player who said he wanted to carry his friend's number forward.
