The Philadelphia Eagles don't have to make their final cuts to trim the roster down to 53 men until 4 p.m. ET on Aug. 26. However, that hasn't stopped one newcomer from planning for a specific change once that time comes.
While there is no question that Quinyon Mitchell will be the starting left cornerback for Philadelphia once the Dallas Cowboys come to town for their Week 1 matchup at Lincoln Financial Field, his primary backup on the depth chart appears to be extremely confident that he will make the final 53-man roster despite having no guaranteed money on his contract for the 2025 campaign.
Monday morning, the former Oakland Raiders draft pick Jakorian Bennett told Zach Berman of The Athletic that he hopes to change his number from No. 49 to something different once the final cuts are made and more options become available for him to choose from.
Jakorian Bennett said he’ll wait to see what numbers are available after cuts. If he doesn’t find one he likes, he’ll wear No. 49. He admitted it’s ugly, but it’s out of consideration.
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) August 18, 2025
New Eagles CB Jakorian Bennett Already Planning to Change Number
The former Maryland Terrapins standout wore No. 0 during his time with the Las Vegas Raiders and doesn't seem to be as thrilled with the "ugly" No. 49 uniform he was given upon joining the defending champions.
Deion Sanders coined the phrase, "If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you do good." Bennett is a subscriber to that train of thought based on these comments. Nick Sirianni couldn't care less what uniform number Bennett wears as long as he is ready to contribute whenever that number is called upon.
Bennett did just that in Philadelphia's second exhibition game of the preseason, finishing with three total tackles, two of which were of the solo variety, and one pass deflection. It hasn't all been good for Bennett, though. This past week, he was burned down the field on multiple occasions during a joint practice session, which left fans and pundits wondering just how effective the defender could be.
This past season, Bennett appeared in 10 games for the Raiders, starting seven of them. Receivers being guarded by the former Maryland Terrapins standout had a completion rate of 52.3%. Given the role he would be stepping into, that isn't a major issue facing Bennett at this time. What he must address, though, is why he is being beaten down the field like he was during Wednesday's joint practice when he runs a 4.3 40-yard dash.
While other players in the secondary may not be feeling as confident in themselves entering the third week of the preseason, Bennett certainly believes he is in a position to not only make the roster but be part of the two-deep with these comments.
With cut-down day just over a week away, Eagles fans won't have to wait much longer to see if Bennett is right and what number he will ultimately choose.