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Rams receiver Sammy Watkins and running back Justin Davis settle on jersey numbers

Sammy Watkins won’t be able to wear No. 2 during the regular season, so he’ll switch to No. 12.
(Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
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Money and mom. Both can play an influence when selecting a jersey number.

Sammy Watkins considered the potential cost, maybe $5,000 or $10,000, then decided the price wasn’t worth it.

The Rams receiver, acquired in a trade last month, will wear jersey No. 12 this season instead of bargaining with third-year backup quarterback Sean Mannion for No. 14, which Watkins wore for three seasons with the Buffalo Bills.

“I just reminded myself like, it’s not that serious about a number,” Watkins said, adding that Mannion was attached to the number.

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“I didn’t want to press him about it,” Watkins said. “We’ve got a good relationship, so I just wanted to keep it like that.”

Watkins wore No. 2 at Clemson and during the preseason, but NFL receivers are not allowed to wear single-digit numbers during regular-season games.

“It’s a new start, a new team,” Watkins said.

Running back Justin Davis switched from No. 42 to No. 33 ahead of Sunday’s opener against the Indianapolis Colts.

“My friends and family said 42 didn’t look right,” Davis said, laughing, “Like my mom didn’t even know that running backs could wear 40.”

Davis, who made the roster as an undrafted free agent, wore No. 22 for four seasons at USC.

He’s out of the 40s, but it will take time to acclimate to No. 33.

“People say it doesn’t look right on me right now,” Davis said. “But I’m saying give it a couple weeks.”

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Times staff writer Gary Klein contributed to this report.

lindsey.thiry@latimes.com

Follow Lindsey Thiry on Facebook and Twitter @LindseyThiry

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