Eagles reportedly propose for the NFL to bring No. 0 jersey back
With available jersey numbers dwindling, the Philadelphia Eagles would like to see a return to the old school.
The reigning NFC champions have submitted a proposal for the NFL to allow players to wear jersey No. 0, The Athletic's Kalyn Kahler reports. There's no word on how seriously the NFL is considering the proposal.
Players are currently permitted to choose from jerseys number 1-99. 0 and 00 used to be an option. But they haven't been seen in the NFL since a rule change in 1973 limited the options to positive numbers only.
Even when they were available, 0 and 00 didn't have a deep roster of notable takers. Hall of Famer and 10-time All-Pro Oakland Raiders center Jim Otto is the last and most notable player to wear No. 00 before his 1974 retirement. Pro Bowl Houston Oilers receiver Ken Burrough likewise wore 00.
Johnny Olszewski, a Pro Bowl fullback for Washington in the 1950s and '60s, wore No. 0. As did author and Sports Illustrated writer George Plimpton, who had a brief preseason stint as a quarterback for the Detroit Lions. He even played in an intra-squad scrimmage.
The Eagles proposal reportedly only includes No. 0; 00 is not on the table. The impetus is due to a dearth of single-digit numbers available on some rosters thanks to a recent rule change allowing players at most positions to don jersey numbers less than 10.
If passed, players will have the opportunity to make the digit their own. The decision will ultimately lie with the NFL's competition committee.
