Football is a game of numbers in some ways more than others.
While front office executives, fantasy football nerds and cap gurus all crunch numbers, it’s the ones on the jerseys that have gotten a lot of attention over the last few seasons. With the NFL loosening its restrictions on jersey numbers, plenty of players have adopted different numbers, leaving NFL fans with out-of-date and defunct jerseys in their closets.
This year, a new wrinkle has been added to the fold: The introduction of the number 0 into the fold means that there will be up to 32 players across the league who will embrace the absence of value on gamedays.
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Here’s what to know about NFL players making the switch for the 2023 season:
List of NFL players wearing 0
There are 22 players who are donning the No. 0 entering the 2023 NFL season, meaning just 10 teams are without a player to hold the number on their back.
Here’s the complete list of players heading into the 2023 season as the NFL’s Agent Zeroes:
Player | Position | Team |
Zach Pascal | RB | Arizona Cardinals |
Lorenzo Carter | OLB | Atlanta Falcons |
Roquan Smith | ILB | Baltimore Ravens |
Brian Burns | OLB | Carolina Panthers |
Greg Newsome | CB | Cleveland Browns |
Jonathan Cooper | OLB | Denver Broncos |
Marvin Jones Jr. | WR | Detroit Lions |
Shaquill Griffin | CB | Houston Texans |
Calvin Ridley | WR | Jacksonville Jaguars |
Jakarian Bennett | CB | Las Vegas Raiders |
Daiyan Henley | LB | Los Angeles Chargers |
Brian Young | OLB | Los Angeles Rams |
Braxton Berrios | WR | Miami Dolphins |
Marcus Davenport | OLB | Minnesota Vikings |
Ugo Amadi | S | New Orleans Saints |
Parris Campbell | WR | New York Giants |
Adrian Amos | S | New York Jets |
D’Andre Swift | RB | Philadelphia Eagles |
Samuel Womack III | CB | San Francisco 49ers |
Devin Bush | LB | Seattle Seahawks |
Yaya Diaby | OLB | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
Sean Murphy-Bunting | CB | Tennessee Titans |
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NFL jersey number rules
Prior to the the 2021 NFL season, the league relaxed its restrictions on which position groups could wear specific numbers. The NFL, though, didn’t allow the No. 0 to be used until this offseason, when several NFL players (listed above) made the jump to a new digit (or lack thereof).
Previously, only quarterbacks, punters and kickers could have single-digit uniform numbers. Now, that group has been expanded to include tight ends, wide receivers, running backs and defensive backs. The No. 0 was added to seven position groups across the field.
Here’s how the new number groupings break down:
Position group | Number options | Previous number options |
---|---|---|
Quarterbacks | 0-19 | 1-19 |
Running backs | 0-49, 80-89 | 20-49 |
Wide receivers | 0-49, 80-80 | 10-19, 80-89 |
Tight ends | 0-49, 80-89 | 40-49, 80-89 |
Offensive line | 50-79 | 50-79 |
Defensive line | 50-79, 90-99 | 50-79, 90-99 |
Linebackers | 0-59, 90-99 | 40-59, 90-99 |
Defensive backs | 0-49 | 20-49 |
Kickers | 0-49, 90-99 | 1-19 |
Punters | 0-49, 90-99 | 1-19 |