Chicago Bears safety Eddie Jackson is taking advantage of the new NFL jersey rules and will switch from No. 39 to No. 4. The former All-Pro safety announced the change on his Instagram page earlier on Thursday afternoon.
Jackson previously wore No. 4 when he was attending the University of Alabama. When he was drafted by the Bears in 2017, he chose No. 39 since defensive backs weren’t allowed to wear single digit jersey numbers at the time.
But that rule changed earlier this offseason, relaxing the jersey number requirements for a number of positions. Defensive backs used to be restricted to numbers between 20-49. Now, they’re allowed to choose from 1-49, giving Jackson the opportunity to don his old number again.
Chicago Bears safety Eddie Jackson said on Instagram Live that he is switching his jersey number.
Jackson said his new jersey number will be number 4.
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) May 13, 2021
While other free agents and rookies will have the opportunity to select a wider range of numbers, Jackson appears to be the first current Bears player to take advantage of the rule by switching his number.
