NFL owners approve proposal allowing players to wear No. 0
NFL team owners approved a proposal Tuesday allowing players to wear No. 0 this season.
Any player can wear the new jersey number except offensive and defensive linemen. It's the second time in the last three years that NFL owners have approved a new number rule, as they expanded the use of single-digit numerals on jerseys for more positions starting in the 2021 season.
The latest change also allows kickers and punters to wear any numeral between 0-49 and 90-99. Those players were previously only allowed to wear 1-19.
The NFL hasn't allowed players to wear No. 0 since the league's number standardization in 1973. Several players wore that number before in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley announced he will switch to No. 0 shortly after the rule change was approved. Ridley, who has yet to make his debut with Jacksonville after joining the team via trade from the Atlanta Falcons last year, wore No. 18 with the Falcons.
The jersey rule change was suggested by the Philadelphia Eagles, who also wanted to create a fourth-and-20 alternative to the onside kick. That latter proposal wasn't turned down, but more discussion will be needed, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
NFL owners also tabled a proposal from the Detroit Lions to allow teams to have a third quarterback available on game days, NFL competition committee chairman Rich McKay told Pelissero.
Additionally, owners decided to wait until at least May to vote on a flex-scheduling plan for Thursday Night Football games, NFL chief media and business officer Brian Rolapp announced, per Pelissero.
However, Rolapp added that teams can now play two Thursday night games in a season.
For clarity, the change would allow a team to play on TNF *on a short week* twice in a season. So doesn’t include the Week 1 opener, a TNF game after a Thanksgiving game, etc.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 28, 2023
The Los Angeles Rams' proposal to make roughing the passer reviewable wasn't approved, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. That proposal gained steam following several controversial penalty calls during the 2022 season.
Meanwhile, the NFL also approved a single roster cutdown, meaning teams will trim rosters from 90 to 53 players after their final preseason game each year. The cutdown date this season is Aug. 29.