Ravens linebacker L.J. Fort switches to a single-digit jersey number

The Baltimore Ravens have had a few players switch jersey numbers since the NFL eased restrictions on what numbers players can wear.

On Thursday, Ravens inside linebacker L.J. Fort tweeted a photo of himself sporting a Baltimore No. 3 jersey. The news was later confirmed by the Ravens themselves.

The latest Ravens’ player to wear No. 3 was backup quarterback Robert Griffin III who was waived by the team in January.

Griffin showed no remorse when the news came out that Fort was replacing his jersey number. In fact, the former Offensive Rookie of the Year seemed pretty ecstatic for his former teammate.

L.J. Fort is the latest Ravens player to change jersey numbers

Fort becomes the most recent player for the Ravens to switch jersey numbers. Wide receiver Marquise Brown and linebacker Patrick Queen also made the decision to change numbers last week.

Queen will wear No. 6 while Brown switched to No. 5. Brown is switching to the number he wore in college while Queen’s No. 8 he wore at LSU likely won’t be changing hands anytime soon.

It’s unclear why Fort chose to wear No. 3.  He sported No. 24 in college for the University of Northern Iowa from 2008 -2011.

Last season, Fort cemented himself as a key player on defense. After being bounced around by multiple franchises, he seems to have made a home in Baltimore. Fort came over from Philadelphia after being cut by the Eagles in 2019.

During the 2020 regular season, he played in 14 games, starting eight of them. Fort accounted for 53 combined tackles with two of those coming for a loss, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

Fort scored on one of his fumble recoveries against the Houston Texans in Week 2 of the 2020 regular season. It was his first touchdown since 2018 when he was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With No. 3, 5, and 6 taken this offseason, the only remaining single-digit jersey number for Baltimore is No 1.

Don’t expect it to last long, though. The expanded jersey numbers have become a hot commodity for players this offseason and especially for those in Baltimore.

Heading into 2021, Fort will have a bigger role on the defense than he did last season. The 31-year-old will line up next to 2020 first-round pick Patrick Queen. Queen was mentored by Fort during his rookie year and showed promise for the Ravens.

While Fort may not be well-known to those around the league, he surely is one of the favorites in Baltimore.