Malik Harrison wants to get his hands on J.K. Dobbins on Monday night. And then, yeah, he’d like to get his hands on a Dobbins jersey, too.
Welcome to the NFL’s latest “HarBowl,” which has something for everyone: AFC playoff implications for John Harbaugh’s Ravens and Jim Harbaugh’s Los Angeles Chargers; an epic quarterback battle between Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert; and, with many familiar ties connecting the franchises, a potentially busy market for postgame jersey swaps.
“I joke around and say that they’re the L.A. Ravens, just because they have so many [of our former] coaches and players,” fullback Pat Ricard said Wednesday. Especially on offense. The only ex-Raven playing for former Ravens assistant coach and current Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter is practice squad safety Tony Jefferson.
Former Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s depth chart, however, is more purple-hued. The Chargers have Dobbins and Gus Edwards at running back, Hayden Hurst and Eric Tomlinson at tight end, and Bradley Bozeman and Sam Mustipher at center.
All of which can create minor logistical issues after the game. Harrison, a versatile linebacker who played with Dobbins at Ohio State and was drafted in the third round in 2020 — one round and 43 slots after Dobbins — said Thursday he was hoping to connect with Dobbins about arranging a game-worn-jersey swap. But he acknowledged that running back Justice Hill, a 2019 pick who spent four seasons alongside Dobbins in Baltimore, might also be in the market. (Hill was in the concussion protocol Thursday and unavailable to comment.)
“Anytime I had a guy that I played with in college or just know in general, I always make it a point to at least try to get their jersey,” Harrison said. “If not, if I don’t get it that time, I’ll at least tell them, ‘Hey, send me one,’ just to have in my house.”
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Harrison’s collection is impressive. Among his most prized jerseys are those from former Buckeyes teammates Jerome Baker (now with the Tennessee Titans), Baron Browning (Arizona Cardinals), DaVon Hamilton (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Jonathon Cooper (Denver Broncos). “Having their jerseys is always a blessing,” Harrison said, even if he hasn’t found a place to hang them in his house yet.
“I just want to rack ’em up a little bit more so when I do hang ’em up, it’s going to be a lot and I can just sit back and read the messages” on the jerseys, Harrison said. “And hopefully, when I start having kids, they can see that, and I can just pass it on to them.”
Sentimentality has a price tag, however. On his podcast last week, cornerback Marlon Humphrey said the Ravens charge players about $500 when they do unexpected jersey swaps. Steelers safety DeShon Elliott said Pittsburgh charges players about $1,500 for replacing one, whether it’s a surprise or not.
That’s simply the cost of maintaining inventory. Defensive lineman Brent Urban, who’s played for four franchises over his decade in the NFL, said teams and their equipment staffs are more understanding when they get a heads-up about a soon-to-be-lost article of clothing.
“For the most part, it’s not a huge deal,” Urban said Wednesday. “As long as you let them know ahead of time [that a jersey swap is imminent], they don’t care.” But if a player, say, gives away a home jersey the week before they need to be back in the same home jersey? “Then they’re going to be really pissed at you,” Urban said.
“In a perfect world, players would tell us at least a week in advance, but that doesn’t always happen,” Kenico Hines, the Ravens’ head equipment manager, said this season. “We cringe when some players whose jerseys have more customization give away theirs at a moment’s notice, because replacing them is extra work for our team. We also are very protective over the black jerseys since we don’t have as many of those since they’re worn less often. But, in the end, our job is to support the players, so we’ll do whatever is necessary to take care of them.”
Safety Kyle Hamilton’s jersey swap plans for Monday night are tentative. He played with a handful of ex-Ravens now on the Chargers’ roster, but his top target is former roommate and Notre Dame teammate Cam Hart, a Baltimore native and rookie cornerback. But a loss could be costly.
“I don’t want to put it out there, but if we did happen to lose, then I might have to just wait on that” swap, Hamilton said Thursday. “Because I don’t want to be out there swapping jerseys after we lose. But hopefully we win, and I’ll be happy-go-lucky to go swap a jersey.”
Baltimore Banner reporter Giana Han contributed to this story.
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