Troy Aikman ’s Instagram story didn’t need captions . The image of the headline, Lamar Jackson withdraws trademark challenge against Aikman, spoke louder than any words could. It was the kind of post you make when you know you’ve won, and you don’t have to spike the football because the scoreboard already says it all.

Jackson, the Ravens’ face of the future, and Aikman, the Cowboys ’ golden-era general. The battleground? A single word, EIGHT. Not a jersey number on a stat sheet, an identity. Aikman’s beer brand. Jackson’s own apparel empire. A word that, in the sports marketing world, can be worth millions in licensing and merch deals.

The filings were sharp-edged. Jackson’s camp argued that Aikman’s use of “EIGHT” risked brand confusion with his own trademarks, ERA 8, You 8 Yet

See Full Page