Greatest Players Who Wore NFL Jersey 16

Number 16: The Ultimate List of NFL Legends Who Wore the Jersey

When you think of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks and most versatile offensive threats, a single jersey number stands out as a symbol of excellence: 16. This number has been graced by some of the most clutch players and dominant winners in football history, becoming synonymous with Super Bowl rings and unforgettable plays.

Who are the best players in pro football history who wore the jersey number 16? Ready to settle the debate? From the undisputed GOATs who defined an era to the rugged, two-way legends who pioneered positions, we’re counting down the absolute best NFL players to ever wear No. 16. Discover the Hall of Famers and superstars who made this jersey number legendary and explore why it remains one of the most decorated in the sport’s annals.

List of Number 16 Legends

Here is a list of prominent NFL players who wore jersey number 16, along with a brief description:

Joe Montana

Nicknamed “Joe Cool,” this legendary Hall of Fame quarterback led the San Francisco 49ers to four Super Bowl victories and was named Super Bowl MVP three times.

Position: Quarterback (QB)

NFL Team(s) and Years: San Francisco 49ers (1979–1992), Kansas City Chiefs (1993–1994)

All-Pro / Pro Bowl Honors: 8-time Pro Bowl selection (1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1993); 5-time All-Pro (3-time First-Team: 1987, 1989, 1990; 2-time Second-Team: 1981, 1984)

Seasons Wore #16: 1979–1992 (all 14 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers; he wore #19 with the Chiefs)

Frank Gifford

A versatile Hall of Famer for the New York Giants, he was a two-way star who excelled as a running back, defensive back, and flanker, winning the NFL MVP award in 1956.

Position: Halfback (HB) / Flanker (FL) / Defensive Back (DB) / Wide Receiver (WR)

NFL Team(s) and Years: New York Giants (1952–1960, 1962–1964)

All-Pro / Pro Bowl Honors: 8-time Pro Bowl selection (1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1963); 6-time First-Team All-Pro (1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959)

Seasons Wore #16: 1952–1960, 1962–1964 (all 12 active seasons of his NFL career with the Giants)

Len Dawson

This Hall of Fame quarterback wore No. 16 for the Kansas City Chiefs, leading the team to a Super Bowl IV victory and earning MVP honors in that game.

Len Dawson

After playing collegiately at Purdue, Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson began his professional career with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1957–1959) and the Cleveland Browns (1960–1961) before finding legendary success with the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs franchise (1962–1975). His career milestones are headlined by three AFL championships, a Super Bowl IV victory where he earned MVP honors, and his 1987 induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Despite his long career, Dawson never wore jersey number 13 during any professional season; he famously wore number 16, which was later retired by the Chiefs, and briefly wore number 18.

• Position Played: Quarterback
• Teams & Years: Pittsburgh Steelers (1957–1959), Cleveland Browns (1960–1961), Dallas Texans / Kansas City Chiefs (1962–1975)
• All-Pro / Pro Bowl Honors: 7-time Pro Bowl / AFL All-Star selection (1962, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971) and 2-time First-team All-Pro / All-AFL (1962, 1966)
• Seasons Wearing No. 16: 1957–1959 (Steelers) and 1962–1975 (Texans/Chiefs) (wore No. 18 with the Browns)

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George Musso

A Hall of Fame guard and tackle who played for the Chicago Bears, he was one of the first great linemen in NFL history and played on four championship teams.

Position Played: Guard / Offensive Tackle / Defensive Lineman

Teams & Years: Chicago Bears (1933–1944)

All-Pro / Pro Bowl Honors: 3-time NFL All-Star / Pro Bowl selection (1939, 1940, 1941) and 2-time First-team All-Pro (1935 at Tackle, 1937 at Guard)

Seasons Wearing No. 16: 1933–1944 (Chicago Bears)

Duke Slater

An early African-American pioneer in the NFL and a Hall of Fame tackle, he wore No. 16 for the Chicago Cardinals and was known for his durability and consistent All-Pro play.

Position: Tackle (T) Teams & Years: Milwaukee Badgers (1922), Rock Island Independents (1922–1925), Chicago Cardinals (1926–1931) (Note: Also played with Rock Island during their 1926 season in the first AFL)

All-Pro / Pro Bowl Honors: 6-time All-Pro selection (First-Team: 1923, 1925, 1927, 1929; Second-Team: 1924, 1930); the Pro Bowl was not established during his playing era

Seasons Worn #16: 1924 (with the Rock Island Independents)

George Blanda

The ultimate football ironman and Hall of Famer, he played 26 professional seasons as a dual-threat quarterback and prolific kicker, wearing No. 16 with the Raiders and others.

Position: Quarterback / Placekicker (QB/K) Teams & Years: Chicago Bears (1949, 1950–1958), Baltimore Colts (1950), Houston Oilers (1960–1966), Oakland Raiders (1967–1975)

All-Pro / Pro Bowl Honors: 4-time Pro Bowl / AFL All-Star selection (1961, 1962, 1963, 1967); 3-time All-Pro / All-AFL selection (First-Team: 1961; Second-Team: 1962, 1963)

Seasons Worn #16: 1953–1958 (Chicago Bears), 1960–1966 (Houston Oilers), 1967–1975 (Oakland Raiders)

Arnie Herber

A Hall of Fame quarterback and punter for the Green Bay Packers, he was one of the NFL’s first great passers and a key figure in the pre-WWII championship teams.

Position: Quarterback / Tailback – NFL Team(s) & Years: Green Bay Packers (1930–1940), New York Giants (1944–1945) –

All-Pro / Pro Bowl Selections: 1× First-team All-Pro (1932; 2× Second-team in 1935, 1936), 1× Pro Bowl (1939) –

Seasons Wearing Jersey #16: 1933 (with Green Bay)

Ken Stabler

Known as “The Snake,” this Hall of Fame quarterback wore No. 12 but also No. 16 for the Oakland Raiders and led them to a victory in Super Bowl XI.

Position: Quarterback – NFL Team(s) & Years: Oakland Raiders (1970–1979), Houston Oilers (1980–1981), New Orleans Saints (1982–1984) –

All-Pro / Pro Bowl Selections: 1× First-team All-Pro (1974; 1× Second-team in 1976), 4× Pro Bowl (1973, 1974, 1976, 1977) –

Seasons Wearing Jersey #16: 1982–1984 (with New Orleans)

Ed Healey

An early Hall of Fame lineman, he wore No. 16 with the Chicago Bears and was regarded as one of the best tackles of the 1920s.

Position – Tackle / Guard / End (Offensive and Defensive Tackle)

NFL Team(s) & Years – Rock Island Independents (1920–1922), Chicago Bears (1922–1927)

All-Pro / Pro Bowl Honors – 5-time First-team All-Pro (1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926); 0 Pro Bowls (the Pro Bowl era began after his career)

Seasons Wearing No. 16 – 1923–1927 (with the Chicago Bears)

Norm Snead

A four-time Pro Bowl quarterback, he wore No. 16 for several teams, including the Washington Redskins and the New York Giants, passing for over 30,000 career yards.

Position – Quarterback NFL Team(s) & Years – Washington Redskins (1961–1963), Philadelphia Eagles (1964–1970), Minnesota Vikings (1971), New York Giants (1972–1974, 1976), San Francisco 49ers (1974–1975) All-Pro / Pro Bowl Honors – 4-time Pro Bowl selection (1962, 1963, 1965, 1972); 0 First-team All-Pro selections Seasons Wearing No. 16 – 1961–1976 (wore No. 16 throughout his entire 16-season NFL career across all five franchises)

Jim Plunkett

This Super Bowl-winning quarterback wore No. 16 for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, famously leading them to two Super Bowl victories, including a win as a Wild Card team.

Position: Quarterback

NFL Teams & Years: New England Patriots (1971–1975), San Francisco 49ers (1976–1977), Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders (1978–1986)

All-Pro / Pro Bowl Selections: 0 (Never selected to a Pro Bowl or AP All-Pro team)

Seasons Wearing #16: 1971–1986 (Wore #16 throughout his entire 16-season NFL career)

Walt Kiesling

A rugged Hall of Fame guard and tackle, he played and coached during the formative years of the NFL, winning multiple championships, and wore No. 16 with the Chicago Bears.

Position: Guard / Tackle

NFL Teams & Years: Duluth Eskimos (1926–1927), Pottsville Maroons (1928), Chicago Cardinals (1929–1933), Chicago Bears (1934), Green Bay Packers (1935–1936), Pittsburgh Pirates (1937–1938)

All-Pro / Pro Bowl Selections: 4-time All-Pro (1st Team: 1929, 1930, 1932; 2nd Team: 1931); 0 Pro Bowl selections (the NFL Pro Bowl was established after his playing career)

Seasons Wearing #16: 1926, 1927, 1929

Conclusion

Big thanks to Pro-Football-Reference.com for much of the info supplied.