With summer and OTAs in the air, NFL players have the opportunity to switch an aspect of their jersey that holds value. As rigid a monolith as you will find in sports, the NFL fights to establish a sameness among its players.
However, one aspect that the players continue to enjoy is the opportunity to change numbers. While small, that liberty remains one of the few things that the owners cannot take away, much to their probable chagrin. With that in mind, let’s examine the reasoning behind the players who recently changed their jersey numbers.
NFL Players Who Changed Their Jersey Number for Various Reasons Highlights Apparel Conversation
For a player, the jersey and, most specifically, the number, hold various forms of sentimental value.
One of the most significant shifts in the number-switching phenomenon is the NFL allowing teams to use the number zero. In March 2023, team owners approved a change to the jersey number rule. Aside from players being allowed to wear No. 0, most non-linemen can now wear any number between 1 and 49. The decision to include the number zero created a frenzy amongst NFL Fans.
This season, Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs and Dallas Cowboys linebacker Demarvion Overshown became the latest players to follow the trend. Gibbs changed his number from No. 26 to No. 0. He originally wanted No. 1, but Jameson Williams earned dibs.
Jamo walking out in his new jersey number 🥶
(🎥: @Lions) pic.twitter.com/qbojFVW3Me
— 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔦𝔱 𝔗𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 📰 (@the_det_times) May 28, 2025
Overshown changed his jersey from No. 13 to No. 0, which he wore while playing at the University of Texas.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles Rams wideout Puka Nacua willfully surrendered the No. 17 jersey to his new teammate, Davante Adams. Nacua decided to embrace his college days, choosing to roll with No. 12. Another player to honor his college playing days is San Francisco 49ers receiver Ricky Pearsall, who switched to No. 1 to celebrate his days at the University of Florida.
Similarly, Washington Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore led the charge with the No. 2 he wore at Ohio State. Sometimes, numbers become free after the players who wore them leave the organization. When veteran defensive back Darius Slay left the Philadelphia Eagles, his No. 2 opened up. As a result, wide receiver Jahan Dotson swooped in.
Jersey numbers often carry weight with players. Some tattoo them on their bodies or commission jewelry that adorns it. People of a certain age can probably remember the noise over Michael Jordan when he returned to wearing No. 45 instead of the iconic 23.
For fans who love to emulate their sports heroes, the numbers will become theirs if they play sports. Under those circumstances, something as trivial as wearing a specific number on your jersey matters.
