Top Players Who Wore NFL Jersey 3

Some NFL jersey numbers are iconic, tied forever to the players who wore them and changed the game. Think of #12 and Tom Brady, or #80 and Jerry Rice. But what about the NFL jersey number 3? It’s a jersey worn by a unique group of players, from legendary kickers to Hall of Fame quarterbacks, each leaving their own mark on the history of professional football. 🏈 This article dives into the legacy of one of the greatest ever to wear the #3 jersey. Was it a groundbreaking passer from the league’s earliest days? Or a modern Super Bowl-winning quarterback who defined a franchise? We’ll explore the candidates and crown the ultimate all-time king of the number 3 jersey.

Who are the best NFL players to wear jersey number 3? Hall of Fame runner Bronko Nagurski is widely considered the greatest, alongside early pioneers like Jack Ernst and modern superstars like Budda Baker, Jesse Bates III, and Russell Wilson.

Here is a list of legends who donned the Jersey 3 in NFL games:

Bronko Nagurski

A powerful Hall of Famer who wore No. 16 for the Chicago Bears, he was a massive two-way star who dominated as both a fullback and a defensive tackle in the sport’s early era.

Bronko Nagurski

Jim Thorpe

Halfback – Canton Bulldogs (1920, 1926), Cleveland Tigers (1921), Oorang Indians (1922–1923), Rock Island Independents (1924–1925), New York Giants (1925), Chicago Cardinals (1928) – 0 Pro Bowls (the game did not exist during his era), 1 All-Pro selection.

Thorpe wore the Jersey 3 with the Oorang Indians in 1923 and the Canton Bulldogs in 1926.

How Jim Thorpe Shaped American Gridiron History

Russell Wilson

Wilson wore the 3 jersey for the Seahawks (2012-21), Broncos (2022-23), Steelers (2024), and Giants (2025)

Daryle Lamonica

Lamonica wore the 3 jersey for the Raiders (1967-74)

Kevin Butler

Kicker – Chicago Bears (1985–1995), Arizona Cardinals (1996–1997) – 0 Pro Bowls, 2 All-Pro selections

Butler wore the number 3 with the Cardinals.

Tony Canadeo

Halfback – Green Bay Packers (1941-1944, 1946-1952) – 3-time All-Pro (Two First-Team, One Second-Team)

The Gray Ghost: Tony Canadeo’s Gridiron Legacy

Matt Stover

Matt donned the celebrated NFL uniform number 3, played for the Browns (1991-95), Ravens (1996-2008), & Colts (2009)

Carson Palmer

Carson wore the number 3 jersey for the Raiders (2011-12) & Cardinals (2013-17)

Jan Stenerud

Placekicker – Kansas City Chiefs (1967–1979), Green Bay Packers (1980–1983), Minnesota Vikings (1984–1985) – 6 Pro Bowls, 6 All-Pro selections (4 First-team, 2 Second-team) [Source]

Budda Baker

Safety – Arizona Cardinals (2017–2025) – 8 Pro Bowls, 4 All-Pro selections (2 First-team, 2 Second-team)

Eddie Murray

Placekicker – Detroit Lions (1980–1991, 1999), Kansas City Chiefs (1992), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1992), Dallas Cowboys (1993, 1999), Philadelphia Eagles (1994), Washington Redskins (1995, 2000), Minnesota Vikings (1997) – 2 Pro Bowls, 4 All-Pro selections (1 First-team, 3 Second-team)

John Carney

Placekicker – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1988–1989), San Diego Chargers (1990–2000), New Orleans Saints (2001–2006, 2009–2010), Jacksonville Jaguars (2007), Kansas City Chiefs (2007), New York Giants (2008) – 2 Pro Bowls, 2 All-Pro selections (1 First-team, 1 Second-team)

Jameis Winston

Quarterback – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2015–2019), New Orleans Saints (2020–2023), Cleveland Browns (2024), New York Giants (2025) – 1 Pro Bowl, 0 All-Pro selections

Mark Moseley

Placekicker – Philadelphia Eagles (1970), Houston Oilers (1971–1972), Washington Redskins (1974–1986), Cleveland Browns (1986) – 2 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro selection (First-team)

Stephen Gostkowski

Placekicker – New England Patriots (2006–2019), Tennessee Titans (2020) – 4 Pro Bowls, 3 All-Pro selections (2 First-team, 1 Second-team)

Jack Ernst

Quarterback/Halfback – Pottsville Maroons (1925–1928), New York Yankees (1928), Boston Bulldogs (1929), Frankford Yellow Jackets (1930) – 0 Pro Bowls, 0 All-Pro selections

Bobby Hebert

Quarterback – New Orleans Saints (1985–1992), Atlanta Falcons (1993–1996) – 1 Pro Bowl, 0 All-Pro selections

Matt Bryant

Placekicker – New York Giants (2002–2003), Indianapolis Colts (2004), Miami Dolphins (2004), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2005–2008), Atlanta Falcons (2009–2019) – 1 Pro Bowl, 0 All-Pro selections

Josh Brown

Placekicker – Seattle Seahawks (2003–2007), St. Louis Rams (2008–2011), Cincinnati Bengals (2012), New York Giants (2013–2016) – 1 Pro Bowl, 0 All-Pro selections

Rohn Stark

Punter – Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts (1982–1994), Pittsburgh Steelers (1995), Carolina Panthers (1996), Seattle Seahawks (1997) – 4 Pro Bowls, 5 All-Pro selections (1 First-team, 4 Second-team)

Jon Kitna

Quarterback – Seattle Seahawks (1997–2000), Cincinnati Bengals (2001–2005), Detroit Lions (2006–2008), Dallas Cowboys (2009–2011, 2013) – 0 Pro Bowls, 0 All-Pro selections

Al Del Greco

Kicker – Green Bay Packers (1984–1987), St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals (1987–1990), Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Titans (1991–2000) – 0 Pro Bowls / 0 All-Pro Selections

Pete Gogolak

Kicker – Buffalo Bills (1964–1965), New York Giants (1966–1974) – 0 Pro Bowls / 0 All-Pro Selections (Note: 1 AFL All-Star Selection) [Source]

Rick Mirer

Quarterback – Seattle Seahawks (1993–1996), Chicago Bears (1997), Green Bay Packers (1998), New York Jets (1999), San Francisco 49ers (2000–2001), Oakland Raiders (2002–2003), Detroit Lions (2004) – 0 Pro Bowls / 0 All-Pro Selections

Kris Brown

Kicker – Pittsburgh Steelers (1999–2001), Houston Texans (2002–2009), San Diego Chargers (2010), Dallas Cowboys (2010) – 0 Pro Bowls / 1 All-Pro Selection

Mark Royals

Punter – Dallas Cowboys (1986), St. Louis Cardinals (1987), Philadelphia Eagles (1987), Phoenix Cardinals (1988), Miami Dolphins (1989), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1990–1991), Pittsburgh Steelers (1992–1994), Detroit Lions (1995–1996), New Orleans Saints (1997–1998), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1999–2001), Miami Dolphins (2002–2003), Jacksonville Jaguars (2003) – 0 Pro Bowls / 0 All-Pro Selections

Jeff George

Quarterback – Indianapolis Colts (1990–1993), Atlanta Falcons (1994–1996), Oakland Raiders (1997–1998), Minnesota Vikings (1999), Washington Redskins (2000–2001), Seattle Seahawks (2002), Chicago Bears (2004), Oakland Raiders (2006) – 0 Pro Bowls / 0 All-Pro Selections

Joey Harrington

Quarterback – Detroit Lions (2002–2005), Miami Dolphins (2006), Atlanta Falcons (2007), New Orleans Saints (2008) – 0 Pro Bowls / 0 All-Pro Selections

Rich Karlis

Kicker – Houston Oilers (1981), Denver Broncos (1982–1988), Minnesota Vikings (1989), Detroit Lions (1990), Atlanta Falcons (1991) – 0 Pro Bowls / 0 All-Pro Selections

Jim Breech

Kicker – Detroit Lions (1978), Oakland Raiders (1979), Cincinnati Bengals (1980–1992) – 0 Pro Bowls / 0 All-Pro Selections

Jeff Reed

Kicker – New Orleans Saints (2002), Pittsburgh Steelers (2002–2010), San Francisco 49ers (2010), Seattle Seahawks (2011) – 0 Pro Bowls / 0 All-Pro Selections

Derek Anderson

Quarterback – Baltimore Ravens (2005), Cleveland Browns (2005–2009), Arizona Cardinals (2010), Carolina Panthers (2011–2017), Buffalo Bills (2018) – 1 Pro Bowl / 0 All-Pro Selections

John Leypoldt

Kicker – Buffalo Bills (1971–1976), Seattle Seahawks (1976–1978), New Orleans Saints (1978) – 0 Pro Bowls / 0 All-Pro Selections

Wil Lutz

Kicker – New Orleans Saints (2016–2022), Denver Broncos (2023–present) – 1 Pro Bowl

Conclusion

From the rough-and-tumble era of Bronko Nagurski to the modern brilliance of Russell Wilson, the NFL Jersey 3 has been represented by a truly diverse and historic group of athletes. It’s a number that defies a single position, worn by Hall of Fame pioneers, Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks, and legendary kickers. Each player who donned the number 3 left an indelible mark, reminding us that greatness isn’t confined to a specific role.

Whose legacy in the NFL Jersey 3 do you believe shines the brightest? Let us know in the comments which player you think is one of the best players in history who wore it, and share your favorite memory of them! Big Thanks to the above-noted sources and to Pro-Football-Reference.com and Newspapers.com to help fill in the blanks. Our goal is to keep making this page better, so if you feel we are missing someone you feel should be added, please let us know at Pi*************@***il.com.

The list of NFL players at each jersey number is a fascinating topic. Perhaps you may want to know who wore the number 2 jersey.

The Top NFL Players That Have Worn the Number 2 Jersey

For more information on NFL jersey number 3, check out these Pigskin Dispatch posts: