Julio Jones won’t wear 11, so what number will he wear with Titans?

A.J. Brown was ready to give his new teammate, Julio Jones, No. 11 with the Titans but the latter wouldn’t take it. So what number will he wear?

Tennessee Titans third-year wide receiver A.J. Brown was one of the most vocal presences pushing for the franchise to trade for Julio Jones. So when the franchise completed the deal for the 32-year-old superstar wide receiver on Sunday, Brown was clearly over the moon.

In his push for the Titans to trade for Jones, Brown had stated blatantly that he would give up No. 11 to the veteran wideout if he came to Tennessee. Jones has worn the number since he was drafted by the Falcons in 2011. Brown has done the same since he was made a second-round pick in 2019 by this franchise.

He was apparently serious about that. But when Brown offered Jones No. 11, the newest teammate in Tennessee wasn’t willing to take it:

So we know that Brown will continue wearing No. 11 with the team — but what number is Julio Jones going to be putting on his jersey?

What number will Julio Jones wear with the Titans?

The most likely answer to that question is No. 8. That’s the number Jones wore as a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide and, with the rule changes instituted this offseason, wide receivers can now wear single-digit numbers. That would be a nice throwback look for Jones as well, seeing No. 8 and 11 dominate defensive backs on the outside.

Beyond going to his college number, though, it’s hard to say what number Jones could possibly wear in Tennessee. With that said, an exploration of the new single-digit jersey numbers would make a lot of sense as he would not be forced to buy out his old inventory, as is the case for any player remaining on the same team and looking to change their number for the 2021 NFL season.

No matter which number Julio Jones puts on his jersey, though, fans in Nashville are likely just thankful that it will say “Titans” above that number. At the end of the day, having him catching passes from Ryan Tannehill is the most important part of the equation.