The Baltimore Ravens finally found the safety depth they’ve been looking for, signing 2018 All-Pro Eddie Jackson to a one-year deal last week.
Nothing says “welcome to a new team” quite like receiving a new jersey number, and Jackson just received his on Sunday night. According to NFL Jersey Numbers, Jackson will wear No. 39 in Baltimore, a number that holds great significance for him.
For his first four seasons with the Chicago Bears, Jackson wore No. 39 and established himself as one of the top safeties in the league. He garnered two Pro Bowl selections, a first-team All-Pro nod in 2018 and earned a four-year, $58.4 million extension that made him the highest-paid safety in the league at the time of signing.
In 2021, though, the NFL approved a rule change that allowed players to be far more flexible with their jersey numbers. Jackson took full advantage of this rule change by switching to No. 4, the same number he wore at Alabama.
Of course, No. 4 is taken by Ravens receiver Zay Flowers, so Jackson decided to go back to his roots when choosing his number.
The last player to wear No. 39 was undrafted free agent safety Jordan Toles, whom the Ravens ironically released to make room for Jackson. That was in a roster sense, but it also means that Jackson had the freedom to choose the number he’s most associated with.
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