The NFL's owners, general managers and coaches are in Arizona to manage the league's major affairs, like the possible long-awaited sale of the Washington Commanders, a possible trade of Aaron Rodgers and, most importantly, the No. 0.
As of Tuesday, the Commanders remain the property of Dan Snyder, Rodgers remains a Green Bay Packer, but the No. 0 can now be worn by NFL players. At least most NFL players.
The issue came to light in 2020, when the NCAA made the number available to players. At that level, it was a matter of real estate. College teams have more than 100 players, so opening a 100th number, while not eliminating, at least alleviated the problem.
The NFL has no such issue. Each team carries only 53 players, and dresses just 45 on game day. NFL players, and the right number of competition committee members, just thought having No. 0 on the field would look cool.
Here's the full proposal, which crucially excludes defensive linemen.
Below is a definitive ranking of coolness in pulling off the No. 0 by position that I spent months tinkering with and definitely didn't put together in five seconds:
1. Defensive tackle
2. Fullback
3. Defensive end
4. Kicker/punter (points for comedy and self-awareness)
5. Tight end
6. Linebacker
7. Cornerback
8. Safety
9. Running back
10. Wide receiver
11. Quarterback