When rookie offensive tackle Penei Sewell showed up at Lions OTAs wearing No. 58 on Tuesday, we knew some changes were afoot for the jerseys in Detroit. That 58 was veteran LB Jamie Collins’ number in 2020.
Collins instead has switched to a jersey number previously not allowed for linebackers. He will wear No. 8, the same jersey he donned at Southern Mississippi in college. Collins is one of several Lions who are taking advantage of the NFL’s more liberal roster number rules for 2021.
The league opened up expanded options for several positions, including linebackers and wide receivers. LBs previously couldn’t wear numbers below 50, but now the Lions have two veteran backers who are below it: Collins at 8 and Alex Anzalone choosing No. 34.
A pair of defensive backs, Mike Ford and Quinton Dunbar, jumped at the chance to wear single-digit jerseys, another new option. Ford switched from 38 to 2, while Dunbar chose No. 1 for his first year in Detroit.
