Colts WR DeMichael Harris had a perfect explanation for rocking the No. 12 jersey on Sunday against Cincinnati.
Most players who earn their NFL debuts are met with acclamation and ovations from fans and the media after the game. Unfortunately for Colts rookie wide receiver DeMichael Harris, however, that was anything but the case following the team’s comeback victory over Cincinnati on Sunday.
Harris found himself at the center of controversy when he stepped onto the Lucas Oil Stadium turf rocking the No. 12 jersey, which was famously donned by quarterback Andrew Luck for seven seasons before he shockingly retired during the 2019 preseason.
That bombshell decision is still a sensitive topic in Indianapolis, and understandably so as there’s been a growing debate about whether the franchise will retire Luck’s number. After all, he kept the Colts relevant for several years despite working with an inept front office — prior to GM Chris Ballard’s arrival in 2017, of course– that refused to equip him with a competent offensive line.
As it turns out, however, there was no ill intent behind Harris wearing No. 12 on Sunday. The undrafted talent out of Southern Miss revealed that it was simply the only jersey the team had left to offer him. If you ask us, that’s about as clear of an explanation as he could’ve provided.
DeMichael Harris makes a mark for the #Colts wearing a familiar number. https://t.co/iVbsPODRXq
— IndyStarSports (@IndyStarSports) October 18, 2020
"“They told me No. 12 was the only number available,” Harris told reporters on Tuesday. “It’s just a number. Andrew Luck was a great player, the No. 1 draft pick of course. But I’m just trying to make a statement on my own. I’m not too big into numbers, who had it before me and all that. But I understand it was Luck, so I know that’s a big thing.”"
The NFL handbook permits wide receivers to rep jersey numbers that fall only in the 10 to 19 and 80 to 89 range. Per the Indy Star, all of those numbers, are either taken by current wideouts, retired by the franchise or belong to Ring of Honor members.
Here’s a full breakdown of the lengthy list:
10: Daurice Fountain
11: Michael Pittman
13: T.Y. Hilton
14: Zach Pascal
15: Parris Campbell
16: Ashton Dulin
17: Philip Rivers
18: Peyton Manning (retired)
19: Johnny Unitas (retired)
80: Trey Burton
81: Mo Alie-Cox
82: Raymond Berry (retired number)
83: Marcus Johnson
84: Jack Doyle
85: Dezmon Patmon
86: Noah Togiai
87: Reggie Wayne (Ring of Honor)
88: Marvin Harrison (Ring of Honor)
89: Gino Marchetti (retired)
https://twitter.com/only1demike/status/1318316938892804099
There you have it. Now, can fans in Indianapolis please stop giving Harris a hard time? It’s so unfortunate for the 22-year-old wideout that this controversial jersey number, which he had no control over, served as a distraction from his solid debut.
Despite playing just 19% of the offensive snaps, Harris hauled in a respectable three receptions for 29 yards and he could sneakily become the Colts’ No. 4 WR following the bye if Michael Pittman Jr. (foot) isn’t cleared to return. That should be the topic of conversation following his debut.
That’s not to say that Luck didn’t mean the world to Indianapolis or that they didn’t respect his decision to walk away from the game so early into his career, but it was wrong for folks to assume that the franchise was being careless for giving Harris the No. 12 jersey on Sunday.
Get a grip.
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