New Cleveland Browns wide receiver Isaiah Bond is busy checking off tasks ahead of his first NFL practice. On the same day his signing was announced, it was also reported that Bond will be wearing No. 81 for the team.
The team wants to get Bond up to speed as quickly as possible. They signed the speedy wide receiver to a three-year deal that is fully guaranteed, all but locking him into a 53-man roster spot. As a rookie arriving very late to training camp, he will have plenty to learn before finding a comfortable role in the Browns’ offense.
Because of his situation, Bond could still change his number before the start of the 2025 regular season. Once rosters are finalized and options for other numbers open up, multiple players often switch jersey numbers in a last chance before the season begins. We saw this before with running back Nick Chubb in 2018, when he switched from No. 31 to his now well-known No. 24 before his Week 1 regular-season debut.
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The expectation is that Bond will wear No. 81 when he suits up for the Browns’ preseason finale. In their lone home preseason game, Cleveland will host the Los Angeles Rams for Isaiah Bond’s first and final NFL test before his debut.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns WR Isaiah Bond chooses jersey number ahead of first appearance