Who Wore It Best? The Iconic Legacy of the NFL Jersey 9 π
Searching for the top NFL players ever to wear the Number 9 jersey? Youβve come to the right place! This single-digit number has been the uniform choice for some of the league’s most accurate passers, dominating punters, and even a few Hall of Fame quarterbacks whose careers defined their eras. The debate over who is the best to wear the NFL Jersey 9 is fierce, pitting an all-time yardage leader against a Super Bowl MVP and a legendary gunslinger.
Beyond the records, the players who wore NFL Jersey Number 9 embodied leadership and clutch performances. Ready to settle the argument and explore the incredible history behind this iconic number? Let’s find the best among the NFL Jersey 9 wearers.
List of the Best to wear the NFL Jersey 9
There have been some great player who have donned the number 9 on their backs. Here is a list of modern and past players who rocked the NFL Jersey 9, showcasing a selection of the best 9 jersey talents:

Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael A. Lantron, USN
Drew Brees
2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinee, Super Bowl champion, one-time MVP, and one of the most prolific passers in league history.
Fritz Pollard
Hall of Fame Halfback – Akron Pros (1920-1921, 1925-1926), Milwaukee Badgers (1922), Hammond Pros (1923, 1925), Providence Steam Roller (1925) – 1x First-team All-Pro
Sonny Jurgensen
Hall of Fame quarterback, five-time Pro Bowler, and one of the 1960s’ most feared passers.
Matthew Stafford
A modern-day QB who has a Super Bowl Victory and a ton of accolades to his name.
Steve McNair
Co-MVP in 2003 and a dual-threat quarterback who led the Titans to the Super Bowl.
Joe Burrow
A current superstar quarterback who is already building a compelling case for the top spot.
Tony Romo
Quarterback – Dallas Cowboys (2003-2016) – 4x Pro Bowl
Tommy Kramer
Quarterback – Minnesota Vikings (1977-1989), New Orleans Saints (1990) – 1x Pro Bowl
Carson Palmer
Cincinnati Bengals (2003-2010), Oakland Raiders (2011-2012), Arizona Cardinals (2013-2017) – 3x Pro Bowl
Jim McMahon
Quarterback – Chicago Bears (1982-1988), San Diego Chargers (1989), Philadelphia Eagles (1990-1992), Minnesota Vikings (1993), Arizona Cardinals (1994), Cleveland Browns (1995), Green Bay Packers (1996) – 1x Pro Bowl
David Garrard
Quarterback – Jacksonville Jaguars (2002-2010), New York Jets (2013) – 1x Pro Bowl
Shane Lechler
Punter – Oakland Raiders (2000-2012), Houston Texans (2013-2017) – 7x Pro Bowl, 6x First-team All-Pro
Norm Johnson
Kicker – Seattle Seahawks (1982-1990), Atlanta Falcons (1991-1994), Pittsburgh Steelers (1995-1998), Philadelphia Eagles (1999) – 2x Pro Bowl, 1x First-team All-Pro
Bill Kenney
Quarterback – Kansas City Chiefs (1980-1988), Washington Redskins (1989) – 1x Pro Bowl
Rodney Peete
Quarterback – Detroit Lions (1989-1993), Dallas Cowboys (1994), Philadelphia Eagles (1995-1998), Washington Redskins (1999), Oakland Raiders (2000-2001), Carolina Panthers (2002-2004) – 0 Pro Bowl
Billy Wade
Quarterback – Los Angeles Rams (1954-1960), Chicago Bears (1961-1966) – 2x Pro Bowl
Robbie Gould
Kicker – Chicago Bears (2005-2015), New York Giants (2016), San Francisco 49ers (2017-2022) – 1x Pro Bowl, 1x First-team All-Pro
Justin Tucker
Kicker – Baltimore Ravens (2012-present) – 7x Pro Bowl, 5x First-team All-Pro
Rudy Comstock
A dominant, enduring offensive and defensive lineman of early professional football, securing four NFL championships across three separate franchises during an 11-year career.
He wore the jersey number 9 for the New York Giants in 1930.
Steve Owen
Tackle/Guard – Kansas City Blues (1924), Hartford Blues (1925), Cleveland Bulldogs (1925), Kansas City Cowboys (1925), New York Giants (1926-1931, 1933) – 1x First-team All-Pro
Jay Fiedler
Quarterback – Philadelphia Eagles (1994-1995), Minnesota Vikings (1998), Jacksonville Jaguars (1999), Miami Dolphins (2000-2004), New York Jets (2005) – 0 Pro Bowl
Rian Lindell
Kicker – Seattle Seahawks (2000-2002), Buffalo Bills (2003-2012), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2013) – 0 Pro Bowl
Matt Bahr
Kicker – Pittsburgh Steelers (1979-1980), San Francisco 49ers (1981), Cleveland Browns (1981-1989), New York Giants (1990-1992), Philadelphia Eagles (1993), New England Patriots (1993-1995) – 0 Pro Bowl
Swede Youngstrom
Guard/Center – Buffalo All-Americans/Bisons (1920-1925), Canton Bulldogs (1921), Cleveland Bulldogs (1925), Frankford Yellow Jackets (1926-1927) – 3x First-team All-Pro
Nick Foles
Quarterback – Philadelphia Eagles (2012-2014, 2017-2018), St. Louis Rams (2015), Kansas City Chiefs (2016), Jacksonville Jaguars (2019), Chicago Bears (2020-2021), Indianapolis Colts (2022) – 1x Pro Bowl
Jon Ryan
Punter – Green Bay Packers (2006-2007), Seattle Seahawks (2008-2017) – 0 Pro Bowl
Greg Montgomery
Punter – Green Bay Packers (2006-2007), Seattle Seahawks (2008-2017) – 0 Pro Bowl
Greg Montgomery – Punter – Houston Oilers (1988-1993), Detroit Lions (1994), Baltimore Ravens (1996-1997) – 1x Pro Bowl, 1x First-team All-Pro
Graham Gano
Kicker – Washington Redskins (2009-2011), Carolina Panthers (2012-2019), New York Giants (2020-present) – 1x Pro Bowl
Kenneth Walker III
Running Back – Seattle Seahawks (2022-2025), Kansas City Chiefs (present) – 0 Pro Bowl
Josh Bidwell
Punter – Green Bay Packers (1999-2003), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2004-2009), Washington Redskins (2010) – 1x Pro Bowl
Doug Pelfrey
Kicker – Cincinnati Bengals (1993-1999) – 0 Pro Bowl
Chris Boswell
Kicker – Pittsburgh Steelers (2015-present) – 1x Pro Bowl
Russ Stein
Tackle/End/Center – Toledo Maroons (1922), Frankford Yellow Jackets (1924), Pottsville Maroons (1925), Canton Bulldogs (1926) – 0 Pro Bowl/All-Pro
Al Nesser
Guard/End – Akron Pros/Indians (1920-1925, 1926), Columbus Panhandles (1921), Cleveland Bulldogs (1925), New York Giants (1926-1928), Cleveland Indians (1931) – 1x First-team All-Pro
Earl Potteiger
Halfback – Buffalo All-Americans (1920), Chicago Cardinals (1921), Frankford Yellow Jackets (1921), Milwaukee Badgers (1922), Kenosha Maroons (1924), New York Giants (1925-1928) – 0 Pro Bowl/All-Pro
Christian Watson
Wide Receiver – Green Bay Packers (2022-present) – 0 Pro Bowl
Chris Mohr
Punter – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1989), Buffalo Bills (1991-2000), Atlanta Falcons (2001-2004), Washington Redskins (2005) – 0 Pro Bowl
Joe Pisarcik
Quarterback – New York Giants (1977-1979), Philadelphia Eagles (1980-1984) – 0 Pro Bowl
Frank Bucher
End – Pottsville Maroons (1925-1926) – 0 Pro Bowl/All-Pro
Jameson Williams
Wide Receiver – Detroit Lions (2022-present) – 0 Pro Bowl
Jeff Kemp
Quarterback – Los Angeles Rams (1981-1985), San Francisco 49ers (1986), Seattle Seahawks (1987-1991), Philadelphia Eagles (1991) – 0 Pro Bowl
Bryce Young
Quarterback – Carolina Panthers (2023-present) – 0 Pro Bowl
John Hall
Kicker – New York Jets (1997-2002), Washington Redskins (2003-2006) – 0 Pro Bowl
Michael Koenen
Punter – Atlanta Falcons (2005-2010), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2011-2014) – 0 Pro Bowl
Nick Novak
Kicker – Washington Redskins (2005-2006), Arizona Cardinals (2005), Kansas City Chiefs (2008), San Diego Chargers (2011-2014), Houston Texans (2015-2016), Los Angeles Chargers (2017) – 0 Pro Bowl
Lawrence Tynes
Kicker – Kansas City Chiefs (2004-2006), New York Giants (2007-2012) – 0 Pro Bowl
Jim Nettles
Defensive Back – Philadelphia Eagles (1965-1968), Los Angeles Rams (1969-1972) – 0 Pro Bowl
Jaquan Brisker
Safety – Chicago Bears (2022-2025), Pittsburgh Steelers (present) – 0 Pro Bowl
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Wide Receiver – Pittsburgh Steelers (2017-2021), Kansas City Chiefs (2022, 2024), New England Patriots (2023) – 1x Pro Bowl
Phil Dawson
Kicker – Cleveland Browns (1999-2012), San Francisco 49ers (2013-2016), Arizona Cardinals (2017-2018) – 1x Pro Bowl
David Treadwell
Kicker – Denver Broncos (1989-1992), New York Giants (1993-1994) – 1x Pro Bowl
Riley Dixon
Punter – Denver Broncos (2016-2017, 2023-present), New York Giants (2018-2021), Los Angeles Rams (2022) – 0 Pro Bowl
Mark Herrmann
Quarterback – Denver Broncos (1981-1982), Baltimore Colts (1983), Indianapolis Colts (1984, 1990-1992), San Diego Chargers (1985-1987), Los Angeles Rams (1988-1989) – 0 Pro Bowl
Bryan Anger
Punter – Jacksonville Jaguars (2012-2015), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016-2018), Houston Texans (2019-2020), Dallas Cowboys (2021-present) – 2x Pro Bowl
Jeff Blake
Quarterback – New York Jets (1992-1993), Cincinnati Bengals (1994-1999), New Orleans Saints (2000-2001), Baltimore Ravens (2002), Arizona Cardinals (2003), Philadelphia Eagles (2004), Chicago Bears (2005) – 1x Pro Bowl
Lorenzo Carter
Linebacker – New York Giants (2018-2021), Atlanta Falcons (2022-present) – 0 Pro Bowl
KaVontae Turpin
Wide Receiver / Return Specialist – Dallas Cowboys (2022-present) – 1x Pro Bowl
Brad Maynard
Punter – New York Giants (1997-2000), Chicago Bears (2001-2010), Cleveland Browns (2011) – 0 Pro Bowl
Brad Wing
Punter – Pittsburgh Steelers (2014, 2023), New York Giants (2015-2017) – 0 Pro Bowl
Dave Zastudil
Punter – Baltimore Ravens (2002-2005), Cleveland Browns (2006-2010), Arizona Cardinals (2011-2014) – 0 Pro Bowl
Logan Cooke
Punter – Jacksonville Jaguars (2018-present) – 0 Pro Bowl
Charlie Frye
Quarterback – Cleveland Browns (2005-2007), Seattle Seahawks (2007-2008), Oakland Raiders (2009) – 0 Pro Bowl
Conclusion
The above list is dynamic and ever-changing; that is the beauty of the game, as new stars break through the barriers set by those before them. Did we miss anyone? Let us know at Pi*************@***il.com.
You might want to check out more of our jersey lists like this one: Top NFL Players Who Wore Number 8.
Big Thanks to the above-noted sources and to Pro-Football-Reference.com and Newspapers.com for helping 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.
Find more on our legends of the NFL jersey series here.
Here are some posts on Pigskin Dispatch that take you further into some legendary players who wore jersey number 9:

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