Philadelphia Eagles: Why don’t John Hightower, Deontay Burnett trade numbers?
A number-for-number trade feels right for two Philadelphia Eagles receivers.
When John Hightower was selected with the 168th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, fans the world over had one question on their collective minds: What number would the ex-Boise State Bronco wear?
Well, as it turns out, it wasn’t so much which number Hightower would pick to wear, but which numbers would even be left for him to pick.
Going into the 2020 NFL Draft, the Eagles had two numbers in the teens left up for grabs, 18, which was swiftly snatched up by Jalen Reagor upon his surprise selection at 21 overall, and 13, the number Marquise Goodwin claimed after being acquired from the San Francisco 49ers. That left only so many available options for the Eagles influx of new receivers, all of which were in the 80s.
More from Section 215
- 4 Eagles on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
- Best Pennsylvania Sportsbook Promos: Win $650 GUARANTEED Bonus PLUS $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket
- 3 Punters the Eagles Must Target to Replace Arryn Siposs
- Cowboys Trey Lance Trade Proves How Screwed They Are With Dak Prescott
- Devon Allen Took Britain Covey’s Job on Eagles
Now to be fair, plenty of good (and not so good) Eagles wide receivers have worn numbers in the 80s, from Terrell Owens to Jordan Matthews, but after wearing 16 for the entirety of his college career, switching to a number at the opposite side of the century line has to take some adjusting for Mr. Hightower.
Hey, there’s always trim down, right? It’s not like that many Hightower jerseys were purchased over the last few months; why not cash in on a wonderful summer with a numerical reward? Well, that may be easier said than done.
You see, when camp opened up, the prime candidate to free up a number in the teens was USC by way of the New York Jets wide receiver Deontay Burnett. Burnett joined the team on Christmas Eve as the Eagles feverishly attempted to rebuild Carson Wentz’s receiving corps on the fly, caught three balls on five attempts for 53 yards, and cashed in $49,529 for his trouble. With four new wide receivers inbounds to compete for snaps alongside incumbent performers Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson, and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Burnett looked primed to catch a ton of third-team offense passes with Jalen Hurts, play during the back halves of preseason games, and ultimately look elsewhere for a new NFL oppertunity.
Only here’s the thing: Apparently, no one told that to Burnett, as he’d been balling out during what I’ve affectionately dubbed his “not bummer summer“.
So, with Burnett looking more and more likely to stick around for Week 1, Hightower’s search for a number in the teens is over, right? I mean he did say he wanted a number in the teens during a long since expired IG Story, but picking up Torrey Smith’s Super Bowl-winning number is a decent enough consolation prize, right? Sure beats Quez Watkins’ 80.
Not necessarily, my friends.
You see, during his college career, Burnett actually wore the numbers 80 and 82 for his three seasons with the Trojans and (persumably) only picked 16 because both numbers were taken by Jordan Matthews and Richard Rodgers respectably at the time of his signing. With the remainder of his three-year, $2 million contract devoid of any guaranteed money, Burnett wasn’t exactly in an advantageous bargaining position going into Year 2 and probably opted to toe the line over attempting to switch numbers with a roster spot far from, well, guaranteed.
But now, with Burnett and Hightower all but destined to be teammates later this month, why not pull off a little swapski?
With Burnett in the 80s, the Eagles would have some much-appreciated slot numerical continuity for fans in the (digital) cheap seats, as Greg Ward just so happens to wear 84, a decidedly un-quarterback number for the former Houston quarterback. And as for Hightower? Well, I don’t know about you, but having every outside receiver on the roster in a number in the teens feels oddly right for my slightly OCD sensibilities. Last season, the Eagles had the honor of being one of the few teams in NFL history to rock a receiving corps with every player wearing a number in the teens, a streak Jordan Matthews ended and then unended when he was signed-‘n-waived for a cup of midseason coffee.
dark. Next. Keep monitoring Vikings LT Riley Reiff
Look, in the grand scheme of things, the number a player wears has almost no impact on their ability to contribute on the field. DeSean Jackson has worn three different numbers over his NFL career and has been just as good in each season. With that in mind, if two players on the same team would prefer to wear the other’s number, why not make it happen? It’s not like the Philadelphia Eagles need to stock up on said jerseys weeks in advance to sell at home games this fall.