OWINGS MILLS, Md. — If Lamar Jackson has his way, he won’t be wearing No. 8 for much longer.
On the Ravens‘ team podcast “The Lounge,” Jackson said he has a personal reason to change his jersey number, although he has to achieve something in order to make the switch. “If we win the Super Bowl, I’m going to No. 1,” Jackson said. “I want the No. 1. That’s my first number ever. My dad told me, ‘Get No. 1 because that’s the best. You’re the best.’ And it always stuck with me.”
Jackson, who wore No. 7 in high school, was given No. 8 when he got to Louisville. He kept No. 8 because his mother said the number represented “new beginnings.”
Jackson’s No. 8 has become a hot commodity among the Ravens. Inside linebacker Patrick Queen wore that number at LSU and jokingly tried to pry No. 8 away from Jackson this offseason when single digits opened up.
But Jackson made it known he has his sights on owning two numbers. “I want to retire No. 8 and No. 1,” Jackson said. “I want to do that here at the Ravens. So, I want to win a Super Bowl with No. 8 on, do as much as I can with No. 8 on, then come back and do the same thing with 1 on.”
The Ravens don’t officially “retire” uniform numbers. There are a handful of jersey numbers that have not been used since certain players retired: linebacker Ray Lewis (No. 52), offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden (No. 75), safety Ed Reed (No. 20), linebacker Terrell Suggs (No. 55) and guard Marshal Yanda (No. 73).
Jackson has led Baltimore to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons, compiling a 30-7 record in the regular season. But he has struggled in the postseason, where he is 1-3 and has failed to advance past the divisional round.