NFL owners approved a rule proposal Wednesday that will ease the restrictions on jersey numbers, allowing more players to wear single-digits. Running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, defensive backs and linebackers will be able to wear single-digit numbers, which will allow many of them to go back to their college numbers.
Jalen Ramsey has said since the rule was proposed that he’s eyeing No. 2 instead of the number he wore in college (8). When the news broke about the proposal being passed, Ramsey sent a cryptic tweet of his Memoji holding up the number two, seemingly suggesting he wants to switch his jersey number from 20 to 2.
— Jalen Ramsey (@jalenramsey) April 21, 2021
Robert Woods is also pushing to change his number to 2, which he wore in college at USC. He said recently that he’ll switch to it “right away” if the rule is approved and added that Ramsey should switch to zero, so that he can have No. 2 to himself.
“I know he’s Jalen 2.0, but we might just have to have him wear number zero. Bring that into play,” Woods said. “That’ll be a conversation we gotta have, but he knows who’s in it and who’s been rockin’ it.
“It’s too late. He never wore it. He doesn’t know how to wear it.”
Ramsey then tweeted there are only three numbers he’s considering if he changes it, and that he and Woods are working together to figure the situation out.
Lol nah me & bro working together to figure this thang out 🤟🏾 https://t.co/1UKpwpOBP4
— Jalen Ramsey (@jalenramsey) April 21, 2021
Either player will look awesome in a No. 2 jersey, but those who bought their current jerseys will probably be upset about any change either player makes. It won’t be free for a player to change his jersey number this season, though.
According to Kevin Seifert of ESPN, a player will have to buy out the existing inventory of his current jersey if he wants to switch in 2021. If he puts it off to 2022, there will be no requirement to buy the inventory out.
Per NFL rules, if a player wants to change his number THIS SEASON, he would have to buy out the existing inventory of jersey distributors.
If he wants to give notice now to change his number NEXT SEASON, there would be no requirement to buy out inventory. https://t.co/XvduiMgSw3
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) April 21, 2021
Considering Ramsey and Woods both signed contract extensions last year, they have the funds to make a switch happen in 2021.
