Ahmad Gardner staked his claim to his desired jersey number shortly after he was picked by the Jets in the 2022 NFL draft. Now, New York’s top pick has his digit.
The Jets ended any mystery surrounding which numeral Gardner will wear as a rookie on Tuesday, announcing that he will wear No. 1.
At cornerback,
from the University Of Cincinnati,Number 1@iamSauceGardner pic.twitter.com/wTUyQ5CEtU
— New York Jets (@nyjets) May 10, 2022
Gardner, who wore No. 20 during rookie minicamp, playfully fought for the jersey number with fellow rookie Breece Hall on Twitter last month. It originally seemed like neither would receive No. 1, though, as the Jets tweeted out a D.J. Reed jersey graphic with the number.
Based on Reed’s Twitter feed, it looks like Gardner made a deal with the fellow corner for the number. Reed also teased that he is switching to No. 4 after wearing No. 2 — his number at Kansas State — with the Seahawks in 2021.
Gardner celebrated receiving No. 1 with an edited graphic that he posted on social media.
đť—›đťźđť— . . . pic.twitter.com/xZIiYd64ZJ
— SAUCE (@iamSauceGardner) May 10, 2022
Had Gardner been drafted just a couple of years ago, he would not have been able to wear a single-digit number. The NFL introduced new jersey number rules based on position last season, allowing players across the league to transition to the single-digit number they wore in college.
Gardner wore No. 1 as one of the best cornerbacks in college football at Cincinnati.
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