Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley will be wearing a new number when he returns to the field in 2023.
Ridley, who’s set to play again after being reinstated following a year-long suspension for gambling by the NFL, will be the first player to don the No. 0 jersey in over four decades, with the NFL owners approving a proposal from the Philadelphia Eagles seeking permission for players to wear the number.
The decision comes two years after the league made the decision to allow most non-linemen to wear numbers 1-49. The need for an extra number has emerged in recent years as teams now have 16-man practice squads in addition to their 53-man rosters.
Ridley announced the change on social media shortly after the news of the owners’ approval broke and will be the first Jaguars player to wear the number in team history.
“Excited to be the first Jaguars player to wear zero,” he wrote in a tweet.
New England Patriots cornerback Jack Jones showed some interest in switching to zero too, tweeting lovestruck emojis along with the word “donut.” Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons also teased a change in a tweet.
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The last NFL player to wear the No. 0 was former Pats linebacker Bryan Cox, donning the jersey in the 2001 preseason before switching to another number for the regular season.
