a day ago
Cheers with Beers: Cowboys, Ravens stars settle lawsuit before it hits courts
Troy Aikman: EIGHT Elite Light Beer Founder, Hall of Famer, BroadcasterJoe Buck: Here for the beer 🍻 Troy and Joe are back in our next commercial for EIGHT, airing now #LoseTheAdditivesKeepTheTaste
A conversation over beers, settling a disagreement with an adversary is what the Hall-of Fame quarterback offered. Three-time Super Bowl champion Troy Aikman extended it to current Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. The invite was sent to former San Francisco HOF quarterback Steve Young, as well.
Apparently, the time-honored tradition of hashing things out over some hops still works, as Jackson has dropped his lawsuit against the Cowboys' Hall of Fame signal caller. Back in July of 2024 Jackson went the legal route over their shared use of "Eight," the jersey number of all of the star quarterbacks, filed suit with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
According to the Gerben Law blog, Jackson withdrew the suit, with prejudice, and without the approval of Aikman, suggesting the former Cowboys star was favored in the case. Jackson is also prohibited from filling the same argument again in the future.
The dispute arose after Jackson believed Aikman's use of the No. 8 could cause confusion between the two brands. Aikman launched his beer brand "Eight" back in early 2022, with cans configured to replicate his playing jersey.
Jackson filed for multiple trademarks with the No. 8 in the title including but not limited to "Era 8 by Lamar Jackson," "Era 8," and "You 8 yet?". Both players wore the number in the NFL and college.
The Cowboys legend wasn't the only athlete Jackson disputed with. In April of 2025, Jackson took legal action against racing legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. who also sported the number famously across his Budweiser Racecar.
The dispute against Earnhardt Jr. was short lived as the racing team opted to move away from what they thought was a secure trademark.
Other famous athletes to wear No. 8 include: Yankees catcher Yogi Berra, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken Jr., and hockey star Alex Ovechkin. That is a small sample of players or camps who could possibly hear from Jackson in the future.
Luckily for Aikman, it looks like Eight beer will stay around for a bit longer. From an advertising perspective, perhaps he will extend an invitation to worthy athletes who wore the controversial number. Themed cans that 49ers (Young) and Saints (Archie Manning) enthusiasts can enjoy is the type of business acumen Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would be proud of.
