A.J. Brown to Keep No. 11 Jersey

Newly acquired wide receiver Julio Jones is not willing to take the number he wore during 10 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons.

When the Tennessee Titans acquired wide receiver Julio Jones in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, everyone wanted to know if A.J. Brown would hand over No. 11 to the seven-time Pro Bowler.

The issue has been resolved. There will be no bets, competitions or payments for No. 11. In a tweet, Brown said he tried to give No. 11 to Jones, who declined to take it from the emerging star wide receiver.

“Respect,” Brown wrote.

Predictably, Titans players couldn’t contain their excitement on Sunday after the trade was announced. Brown, though, was the most ecstatic. He told a group of local reporters on Sunday that he was working with coach Mike Vrabel on a potential jersey number swap.

When the NFL revised jersey number rules earlier this offseason, allowing skill players to wear single digits, Brown thought about switching to No. 1, the number he wore at Ole Miss. That number, however, belongs to Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon and was retired by the franchise in 2006.

“I tried to switch to No. 1,” Brown said, via a video from Jim Wyatt, who covers the team for Titans.com. “There were some yes’, there were some nos. I am trying to be a good teammate and look out for him (Jones) and let him go out on the right foot.”

It makes sense that Brown tried to give Jones No. 11. A longtime admirer of the two-time All-Pro, Brown heavily campaigned for the Titans to trade for Jones leading up to the deal. He also wore his Atlanta Falcons jersey during pregame warmups in Jacksonville this past December.

Brown told reporters on Sunday that Jones has been his favorite receiver and “someone he looks up to” since before college.

“Just having him in the locker room now, I can just go ask him what I need to do here or when I need to do this,” Brown said. “... Just having someone that close to you. You see it on the field first-hand. It’s great.

“... I have a picture of Julio in my locker. I tell myself every day before I go out for practice, ‘Don’t let Julio outwork you.’ That’s how I measure myself up to the best receiver in the game.”

And now, he’ll be wearing his favorite player’s jersey number.

“#11 until I retire,” Brown said in his tweet.