Jaylon Smith wants to wear No. 9. In fact, he’s felt a certain synonymy with the number ever since his high school days; it’s why he chose to rock the number 54 once he got to the professional ranks in lieu of the NFL’s positional jersey restrictions (linebackers are currently only permitted to don digits between 40 and 59).
But the league is under intense discussions to change that sentiment. Per several sources, NFL officials have contemplated implementing a decree that would lift its current numeric sanctions and allow several segues for players to broaden their tunic ordinals.