The Philadelphia Eagles rookie, Makai Lemon, sat down on a podcast and didn’t hold back when the question of Nick Foles and jersey No. 9 came up. Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano posed the question directly, wondering aloud whether Nick Foles, being a former player himself, had asked for anything in return– money, a car, any kind of favor before handing the number over. Lemon’s answer shuts down any notion that Nick Foles’ blessing came with a price tag.

“Yeah, no, I ain’t got nothing for him,” Makai Lemon told Manzano in Sports Illustrated’s one-on-one interview. “Yeah, I ain’t going to lie, my pockets ain’t like that.”

That simplicity is kind of the whole story here. Before Foles ever picked up the phone, the Eagles had already given Lemon the heads-up. But Foles wasn’t content letting the front office deliver the news on his behalf. He wanted Lemon to hear it straight from him before it reached anyone else.

By the time Lemon stood at his rookie press conference back in April, the decision was already locked in. No. 9 was his.

“I appreciate the Eagles so much and Nick Foles, especially, to pass that number down because I know he could have easily kept that number to himself,” Lemon said at the time. “Such a great player when he was here wearing that number 9, led them to the Super Bowl. I appreciate him so much.

“I definitely cherish that so much. I’ll represent the number 9 well wearing it, representing the team well. I’m just super excited to get that number, for sure.”

It’s worth pausing on why that number carries so much weight in Philly to begin with. Foles didn’t just wear No. 9; he turned it into a piece of franchise history. 373 passing yards, three touchdown throws, and a touchdown pass caught on the legendary Philly Special, all in a 41-33 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. That win wasn’t just a good game. It was the Eagles’ first Super Bowl title.

For Lemon, he wore No. 6 all through his senior year at USC, but DeVonta Smith already had that number locked down in Philly, so Lemon needed a new one. He landed on a number that came loaded with history. But even Lemon is not without his own pedigree here.

He won the Fred Biletnikoff Award in 2025 as the nation’s best receiver, finishing off the last USC season of his career with 79 receptions for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns. One of the most dynamic playmakers in the country, by most accounts.

As Lemon settles into life as the Eagles’ No. 20 overall pick, the No. 9 jersey will serve as a constant reminder of the standard he’s expected to meet in Philadelphia.