No. 9 is back for the Detroit Lions.
No, Matthew Stafford didn’t get dealt back to the Motor City in some late-night blockbuster with the Rams. Instead, rookie wideout Jameson Williams will be the next recipient of the number switching from No. 18 he was originally going to wear in honor of Calvin Johnson who wore No. 81.
However, Williams isn’t making the switch without first reaching out to the team’s best QB in franchise history. The rookie reportedly texted the current Rams QB seeking his blessing which he ultimately got.
Williams originally agreed to wear No. 18 as a nod to Lions great Calvin Johnson, who wore No. 81, by flipping it, but was looking for a single-digit number instead. He reached out to Stafford on his own via text as a courtesy, according to a source.
Stafford didn’t have any issues, the source confirmed. The Los Angeles Rams quarterback wore No. 9 for a dozen seasons in Detroit, where he set numerous franchise records before being traded for Jared Goff and then winning the Super Bowl this past season.
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As far as when we’ll actually see No. 9 on the field is still up in the air. There’s still no official timetable for Williams’ return after he suffered an ACL injury back in January playing for Alabama in the National Championship Game.