It's been well-documented that Raiders Kicker Daniel Carlson an Rookie RB Ashton Jeanty engaged in a one-week negotiation for the glory of wearing the No. 2.
The move relegated the All-Pro Kicker back to a number that he's worn before, not in Vegas, but in Oakland. Now that he's donning the No. 8, Carlson is happy most about being able to get it on his body.
"Oh yeah, I mean, I still, I wore No. 8 when I was back in Oakland. I'm just glad the old jersey still fits. You know, it's a little tight around the belly, but yeah, the old jersey still fits. It works well, so I'm excited for that", Carlson quipped when asked at mandatory minicamp if wearing the old jersey seems odd.
Carlson's comfort with switching numbers to accommodate an incoming player is due to it not being his first experience with the process. During the 2018 and 2019 seasons, Daniel donned the "ocho" for the Oakland Raiders.
When Marcus Mariota came to town, and the Silver and Black relocated to the desert, the No. 2 became the numeral that fans would identify the young kicker with. Carlson also started on a trajectory of greatness that included the achievement of being the NFL co-leading scorer in 2020 and 2021 and the All-Pro selections in 2021 and 2022.
Now with a heralded rookie entering the fray, Carlson will go back in time with his number in the game program and emblazoned on his uniform top. But the process wasn't a long, drawn-out ordeal and it was easier because of the caliber of person and player that Ashton Jeanty is.
"I heard that even before he showed up [he's] just a high character guy. You know, so, so it was a real easy, I mean, I wouldn’t even call it a negotiation necessarily. Just a couple discussions", continued Carlson. "You know, he's super great. Everything I've seen on the field so far, I mean, I'm no expert, but he looks the part for sure".
When asked about whether or not he gives the bearer of his old number a hard time or not, the Raiders Special Teams Captain joked,“Yeah, I give him a hard time. I call him No. 2 a lot and stuff. Obviously, he’s returning kickoffs and stuff, so i got some interactions on the field with him. But I looks good in it".
In the end, who represents which number doesn't really matter. Whether it's Jeanty wearing No.2 or Carlson sporting No. 8, what counts the most is if they both play well enough to equal a perfect ten.
