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Unveiling the Sacred Numbers A Deep Dive into Retired Jerseys | Few honors are as coveted in professional sports as having one's jersey number retired. It's a testament to a player's extraordinary impact on the game, a symbol of their enduring legacy, and a mark of respect from the franchise they represented. This series will delve into the rich history of retired jerseys in football.

Football By Numbers
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Unveiling the Sacred Numbers A Deep Dive into Retired Jerseys

By Darin Hayes 📅 2024-08-16
Few honors are as coveted in professional sports as having one's jersey number retired. It's a testament to a player's extraordinary impact on the game, a symbol of their enduring legacy, and a mark of respect from the franchise they represented. This series will delve into the rich history of retired jerseys in football.

(Image credit: en.wikipedia.org, upload.wikimedia.org)

From the gridiron's earliest days to the modern era of superstar athletes, we will explore the stories behind the numbers that have been permanently shelved. We'll examine the criteria that teams use to determine which jerseys are worthy of retirement, the significance of specific numbers in football culture, and the impact these retired jerseys have on fans and the sport.

Join us as we pay tribute to the legendary players whose contributions to the game have earned them this ultimate honor. We'll uncover the fascinating tales of how these jerseys came to be retired, the controversies that sometimes surround these decisions, and the enduring legacies of the athletes they represent.

As of the start of the 2024 season there are 163 people that have a number set aside in their honor on 26 of the 32 teams.

The Legends By the Retired Numbers

Here is a look at the people for each number retired in the NFL:

Jersey Number 1

Ray Flaherty 1928–1935 - Giants
Warren Moon 1984–1993 - Oilers/Titans

Jersey Number 3

Tony Canadeo 1941–1952 - Green Bay
Jan Stenerud 1967–1979 - Chiefs
Bronko Nagurski 1930–1937, 1943 - Bears

Jersey Number 4

Brett Favre 1992–2007 - Green Bay
Tuffy Leemans 1936–1943 - Giants

Jersey Number 5

George McAfee 1940–1941, 1945–1950 - Bears
Donovan McNabb 1999–2009 - Eagles

Jersey Number 7

John Elway - Denver
Dutch Clark - Detroit
George Halas 1920- 1928 - Bears
Bob Waterfield 1945–1952 - Rams
Mel Hein 1931–1945 - Giants

Jersey Number 8


Larry Wilson - Cardinals
Steve Young 1987–1999 - 49ers

Jersey Number 9


Steve McNair 1995–2005 Oiler/Titans
Sonny Jurgensen 1964–1974 - Washington

Jersey Number 10

Fran Tarkenton 1961–1966, 1972–1978 - Vikings
Eli Manning 2004–2019 - Giants

Jersey Number 11

Phil Simms 1979–1993 - Giants

Jersey Number 12


Jim Kelly - Buffalo
Bob Griese 1967–1980 - Dolphins
Tom Brady 2000-2019 - Patriots
Joe Namath 1965–1976 - Jets
John Brodie 1957–1973 -49ers
FAN (12s) The fans or 12th man of the Seahawks

Jersey Number 13


Dan Marino 1983–1999 - Dolphins
Don Maynard 1963–1972 - Jets

Jersey Number 14

Don Hutson 1935–1945 Green Bay
Otto Graham - Cleveland
Dan Fouts 1973–1987 - Chargers
Ward Cuff 1937–1945 - Giants
Y. A. Tittle 1961–1964 - Giants

Jersey Number 15

Bart Starr 1956–1971 - Green Bay
Steve Van Buren 1944–1951 - Eagles

Jersey Number 16


Len Dawson 1962–1975 - Chiefs
Frank Gifford 1952–1964 - Giants
Joe Montana 1979–1992 - 49ers

Jersey Number 18

Frank Tripuka - Denver Peyton Manning 1998–2011 Colts
Emmitt Thomas 1966–1978 - Chiefs
Charlie Joiner 1976–1986 - Chargers

Jersey Number 19

Johnny Unitas 1956–1972 - Colts
Lance Alworth 1962–1970 - Chargers

Jersey Number 20

Lem Barney - Detroit
Barry Sanders - Detroit
Billy Simms - Detroit
Gino Cappelletti 1960–1970 - Patriots
Brian Dawkins 1996–2008 - Eagles

Jersey Number 21

LaDainian Tomlinson 2001–2009 -Chargers
Sean Taylor 2004–2007 - Washington

Jersey Number 22

Buddy Young 1953–1955 - Colts
Bobby Layne - Detroit

Jersey Number 24

Lenny Moore 1956–1967 - Colts

Jersey Number 27


Eddie George 1996–2003 - Oilers/Titans

Jersey Number 28

Willie Galimore 1957 -1963 - Bears
Abner Haynes 1960–1964 - Chiefs
Marshall Faulk 1999–2006 - Rams
Curtis Martin 1998–2005 - Jets
Darrell Green 1983–2002 - Washington

Jersey Number 29

Eric Dickerson 1983–1987 - Rams

Jersey Number 32

Jim Brown - Cleveland
Al Blozis 1942–1944 - Giants
Franco Harris 1972–1983 - Pittsburgh

Jersey Number 33


Stone Johnson 1963 - Chiefs
Sammy Baugh 1937–1952 - Washington

Jersey Number 34

Walter Payton 1975–1987 - Bears
Thurmon Thomas - Buffalo
Joe Perry 1948–1960 - 49ers
Earl Campbell 1978–1984 - Oilers/Titans

Jersey Number 36

Mack Lee Hill 1964–1965 - Chiefs

Jersey Number 37

Doak Walker - Detroit
Jimmy Johnson 1961–1976 - 49ers

Jersey Number 39


Larry Csonka 1968–1974 - Dolphins
Hugh McElhenny 1952–1960 - 49ers

Jersey Number 40

Pat Tillman - Cardinals
Gale Sayers 1965–1971 - Bears
Mike Haynes 1976–1982 - Patriots
Joe Morrison 1959–1972 - Giants
Tom Brookshier 1953–1961 - Eagles


Jersey Number 41

Brian Piccolo 1965–1969 - Bears

Jersey Number 42

Sid Luckman 1939–1950 - Bears
Charlie Conerly 1948–1961 - Giants
Ronnie Lott 1981–1990 - 49ers

Jersey Number 43


Jim Norton 1960–1968 Oiler/Titans

Jersey Number 44

Floyd Little - Denver
Pete Retzlaff 1956–1966 - Eagles

Jersey Number 45


Ernie Davis - Cleveland
Kenny Easley 1981–1987 - Seahawks

JerseybNumber 46


Don Fleming - Cleveland

Jersey Number 49

Bobby Mitchell 1962–1968

Jersey Number 50

Ken Strong 1936–1947 - Giants

Jersey Number 51

Dick Butkus 1965–1973 - Bears
Sam Mills - Panthers

Jersey Number 53


Mick Tingelhoff 1962–1978 - Vikings

Jersey Number 54

Bob Johnson - Bengals

Jersey Number 55

Junior Seau 1990–2002 - Chargers
Derrick Brooks 1995–2008 - Bucanneers

Jersey Number 56

Bill Hewitt 1932–1936 - Bears
Joe Schmidt - Detroit
Lawrence Taylor 1981–1993 - Giants

Jersey Number 57

Steve Nelson 1974–1987

Jersey Number 58


Derrick Thomas 1989–1999 - Chiefs

Jersey Number 60

Chuck Bednarik 1949–1962 - Eagles

Jersey Number 61

Bill George 1952–1965 - Bears

Jersey Number 63

Willie Lanier 1967–1977 - Chiefs
Lee Roy Selmon 1976–1984 - Bucanneers
Mike Munchak 1982–1993 - Oilers/Titans

Jersey Number 65


Elvin Bethea 1968–1983 - Oiler/Titans

Jersey Number 66

Bulldog Turner 1940–1952 - Bears
Ray Nitschke 1958–1972 - Green Bay

Jersey Number 70

Art Donovan 1953–1961 - Colts
Jim Marshall 1961–1979 - Vikings
Al Wistert 1944–1951 - Eagles
Ernie Stautner 1950–1963 - Pittsburgh
Charlie Krueger 1959–1973 - 49ers

Jersey Number 71

Tony Boselli - Jacksonville
Walter Jones 1997–2009 - Seahawks

Jersey Number 73

John Hannah 1973–1985 - Patriots
Joe Klecko 1977–1987 - Jets
Leo Nomellini 1950–1963 - 49ers

Jersey Number 74


Merlin Olsen 1962–1976 - Rams

Jersey Number 75


Deacon Jones 1961–1971 - Rams
Joe Greene 1969–1981 - Pittsburgh

Jersey Number 76

Lou Groza - Cleveland

Jersey Number 77

Stan Mauldin - Cardinals
Red Grange 1925–1934 - Bears
Jim Parker 1957–1967 - Colts
Korey Stringer 1995–2000 - Vikings


Jersey Number 78


Bobby Bell 1963–1974 - Chiefs
Bruce Smith 1985-1999 - Buffalo
Jackie Slater 1976–1995 - Rams
Bruce Armstrong 1987–2000 - Patriots

Jersey Number 79

Jim Lee Hunt 1960–1970 - Patriots
Bob St. Clair 1953–1963 - 49ers

Jersey Number 80

Kellen Winslow 1979–1987 - Chargers
Isaac Bruce 1994–2007 - Rams
Cris Carter 1990–2001 - Vikings
Jerry Rice 1985–2000 - 49ers
Steve Largent 1976–1989 - Seahawks

Jersey Number 82

Raymond Berry 1955–1967 - Colts

Jersey Number 85

Chris Hughes - Detroit
Jack Youngblood 1971–1984 - Rams

Jersey Number 86


Buck Buchanan 1963–1975 - Chiefs

Jersey Number 87

Dwight Clark 1979–1987 - 49ers

Jersey Number 88

J. V. Cain - Cardinals
Alan Page 1967–1978 - Vikings

Jersey Number 89

Mike Ditka 1961-1966 - Bears Gino Marchetti 1953–1966 - Colts
Bob Dee 1960–1967 - Patriots

Jersey Number 90

Dennis Byrd 1989–1992 - Jets

Jersey Number 92

Reggie White 1993–1998 - Green Bay and Eagles
Michael Strahan 1993–2007 - Giants

Jersey Number 96

Cortez Kennedy 1990–2000 - Seahawks

Jersey Number 99

Marshall Goldberg - Cardinals
Jerome Brown 1987–1991 - Eagles
Warren Sapp 1995–2003 - Bucanneers

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common retired NFL number? The number 12 has 5 legendary QBs, and one fan base represents what the teams have retired the number 12.

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