Last week Marcell Ateman broke trend of Raiders numbered in teens, newly acquired Zay Jones’s number change could get it back on track

Last Tuesday the Raiders added a receiver to the mix, acquiring former second round pick Zay Jones in trade with the Buffalo Bills. Jones initially took the number 81, mainly because number 11, which he wore in Buffalo wasn’t available. It had been taken by Trevor Davis who the team had also recently acquired in trade. As of Monday, that had changed.

Jones changed his number from 81 to 12 before he could even take the field wearing it.

Up until last week, there hadn’t been a Raiders receiver to take the field this season wearing a number in the 80s. Something that used to be commonplace for wide receivers. That lasted four games until the team called up number 88 Marcel Ateman from the practice squad due to a series of injuries at the position.

Ateman was waived last week, but was quickly signed back as the team released JJ Nelson who wore number 15.

All other receivers besides “8-man” on the team wear a number in the teens. That’s 11 Davis, 12 Jones, 13 Hunter Renfrow, 16 Tyrell Williams, 17 Dwayne Harris, and 18 Keelan Doss.

Should they get all their receivers back healthy for Sunday’s game against the Packers, it’s possible that Ateman could be inactive and the trend would be back on track.

In training camp the only number in the 80s that was unclaimed was number 80. The others were mostly taken by tight ends, of which there are three remaining — 83 Darren Waller, 85 Derek Carrier, and 87 Foster Moreau. Antonio Brown was number 84 and Keelan Doss was 89 but changed his number to 18 prior to the start of the season.