Jersey swaps have become commonplace in the NFL in recent years, with opposing players showing mutual respect after games by giving each other the jerseys off their backs as a memento of competing against each other. But Thursday night, something unusual happened.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had multiple Jets players line up to seek his jersey, and instead of giving any one of them the shirt off his back, Jackson autographed several white replica jerseys and handed them out to all the Jets players who asked for one.
That speaks to how well respected Jackson has already become around the NFL. The consensus Most Valuable Player of the entire league, Jackson is a player that opponents want to be able to say they played against for years to come. And getting his jersey signed after a game is a memento of that experience.
The jersey exchange (which was popular in soccer before migrating to football) may not sit well with everyone in the NFL, as some will say that a competitor shouldn’t be so obsequious to the guy who just beat them. But those Jets players had just lived through the Lamar Jackson Experience, and they wanted a souvenir.
