List of National Football League retired numbers

Teams in the National Football League (NFL) retire jersey numbers of players who either are considered by the team to have made significant contributions to that team's success, or who have experienced untimely deaths during their playing career. As with other leagues, once a team retires a player's jersey number, it never issues the number to any other player, unless the player or team explicitly allows it.

History

Since NFL teams began retiring numbers, 139 players have had their jersey number retired. The Chicago Bears have the most retired numbers of any team with 14. Only two players, Reggie White and Peyton Manning, have had their number retired by two teams. Three teams –the Las Vegas Raiders, the Atlanta Falcons,[1] and the Dallas Cowboys– traditionally do not retire jersey numbers, and two others –the Washington Redskins and the Pittsburgh Steelers– have only retired a few. Also without a retired jersey number are the Baltimore Ravens, the Houston Texans, and the Jacksonville Jaguars, although those teams are less than 30 years old. The Raiders have a strict policy of not keeping a number out of circulation; the Texans, who not only are the newest member of the league but one that did not make its first playoff appearance until 2011, have not yet built up a history long enough to warrant retiring a number. The Buffalo Bills under Ralph Wilson also did not, with the exception of Jim Kelly, officially retire jersey numbers; this policy was reversed under Wilson's successor Terry Pegula.

Unlike Major League Baseball (which retired Jackie Robinson's number 42) and the National Hockey League (which did so for Wayne Gretzky's 99), the NFL has never retired a jersey number league-wide in honor of anyone. Numbers 0 and 00 are no longer allowed, but were not retired in honor of any particular player, since the NFL's positional numbering system, imposed in 1973, does not allocate a position for players wearing those numbers (the NFL allowed those numbers in the past; Johnny Olszewski, Obert Logan, Jim Otto, and Ken Burrough all wore 0 or 00). The numbers can be, and rarely are, used in the preseason when no other numbers for a player's position are available.[2]

Retired numbers
Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Jim Kelly, the first player to have his jersey number (12) officially retired by the Buffalo Bills, is seen here in 2010
Otto Graham, whose number 14 was retired by the Browns, at his new job, as the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Athletic Director in 1959
Lenny Moore, whose number 24 was retired by the Colts, poses for a picture at Baltimore in 2011
Junior Seau, whose number 55 was retired by the Chargers, in 2008 playing a game with the New England Patriots
Phil Simms, whose number 11 was retired by the Giants, signing autographs at Rams Park in 2003
Gale Sayers, whose number 40 was retired by the Bears, giving a keynote speech at an awards ceremony in 2008 for the U.S. Army High School Football Player of the Year award
Mike Ditka, whose number 89 was retired by the Bears in a Monday night game against the Dallas Cowboys
Fran Tarkenton, whose number 10 was retired by the Vikings, after giving a speech at Atlanta in 2010
Warren Sapp (left), whose number 99 was retired by the Buccaneers, visits members of the US Navy in 2003
Player No. Team Years with team Date number retired Refs[3]
Larry Wilson8Arizona Cardinals1960–721970
Pat Tillman40Arizona Cardinals1998–2001September 19, 2004[4]
Stan Mauldin77Arizona Cardinals1946–48
J. V. Cain88Arizona Cardinals1974–781979
Marshall Goldberg99Arizona Cardinals1939–43, 1946–48
Jim Kelly12Buffalo Bills1986–96November 19, 2001 [5]
Thurman Thomas34Buffalo Bills1988–99October 30, 2018 [6]
Bruce Smith78Buffalo Bills1985–99September 15, 2016 [7]
Sam Mills51Carolina Panthers1995–97August 13. 2005
Bronko Nagurski3Chicago Bears1930–37, 1943
George McAfee5Chicago Bears1940–41, 1945–50
George Halas7Chicago Bears1920–28
Willie Galimore28Chicago Bears1957–63
Walter Payton34Chicago Bears1975–87
Gale Sayers40Chicago Bears1965–71October 31, 1994
Brian Piccolo41Chicago Bears1965–69
Sid Luckman42Chicago Bears1939–50
Dick Butkus51Chicago Bears1965–73October 31, 1994
Bill Hewitt56Chicago Bears1932–36
Bill George61Chicago Bears1952–65
Bulldog Turner66Chicago Bears1940–52
Red Grange77Chicago Bears1925–34
Mike Ditka89Chicago Bears1961–66December 9, 2013
Bob Johnson54Cincinnati Bengals1968–79December 17, 1978
Otto Graham14Cleveland Browns1946–55
Jim Brown32Cleveland Browns1957–65
Ernie Davis45Cleveland Browns1962[8]
Don Fleming46Cleveland Browns1960–62
Lou Groza76Cleveland Browns1946–59, 1961–671968[9][10]
John Elway7Denver Broncos1983–98September 13, 1999
Frank Tripucka

*Peyton Manning

 18Denver Broncos1960–63

*2012-15

 1963 [11]
Floyd Little44Denver Broncos1967–75
Dutch Clark7Detroit Lions1934–38
Barry Sanders20Detroit Lions1989–98
Bobby Layne22Detroit Lions1950–58
Doak Walker37Detroit Lions1950–55
Joe Schmidt56Detroit Lions1953–65
Chuck Hughes85Detroit Lions1970–71
Tony Canadeo3Green Bay Packers1941–521952
Brett Favre4Green Bay Packers1992–2007November 26, 2015
Don Hutson14Green Bay Packers1935–45December 2, 1951
Bart Starr15Green Bay Packers1956–711973
Ray Nitschke66Green Bay Packers1958–721983
Reggie White92Green Bay Packers1993–98September 18, 2005 [12]
Peyton Manning18Indianapolis Colts1998–2011October 8, 2017 [13]
Johnny Unitas19Indianapolis Colts1956–72 [14]
Buddy Young22Indianapolis Colts1953–55 [14]
Lenny Moore24Indianapolis Colts1956–67 [14]
Art Donovan70Indianapolis Colts1953–611962 [14]
Jim Parker77Indianapolis Colts1957–67 [14]
Raymond Berry82Indianapolis Colts1955–67 [14]
Gino Marchetti89Indianapolis Colts1953–66 [14]
Jan Stenerud3Kansas City Chiefs1967–79August 24, 1992
Len Dawson16Kansas City Chiefs1962–75
Emmitt Thomas18Kansas City Chiefs1966–78October 19, 2008 [15]
Abner Haynes28Kansas City Chiefs1960–74
Stone Johnson33Kansas City Chiefs1963September 8, 1963 [16]
Mack Lee Hill36Kansas City Chiefs1964–65
Derrick Thomas58Kansas City Chiefs1989–99December 6, 2009 [17]
Willie Lanier63Kansas City Chiefs1967–77August 24, 1992
Bobby Bell78Kansas City Chiefs1963–741984
Buck Buchanan86Kansas City Chiefs1963–75August 24, 1992
Dan Fouts14Los Angeles Chargers1973–871988[18][19][20]
Lance Alworth19Los Angeles Chargers1962–70November 20, 2005 [20][21]
LaDainian Tomlinson21Los Angeles Chargers2001–09November 21, 2015 [20][22]
Junior Seau55Los Angeles Chargers1990–02May 11, 2012 [20][23]
Bob Waterfield7Los Angeles Rams1945–521952
Marshall Faulk28Los Angeles Rams1999–2006December 21, 2007 [24]
Eric Dickerson29Los Angeles Rams1983–87
Merlin Olsen74Los Angeles Rams1962–76
Deacon Jones75Los Angeles Rams1961–71September 27, 2009 [25]
Jackie Slater78Los Angeles Rams1976–95
Isaac Bruce80Los Angeles Rams1994–2007October 31, 2010 [26]
Jack Youngblood85Los Angeles Rams1971–84
Bob Griese12Miami Dolphins1967–801985
Dan Marino13Miami Dolphins1983–99November 23, 2003
Larry Csonka39Miami Dolphins1968–74, 19792002
Fran Tarkenton10Minnesota Vikings1961–66, 1972–78October 7, 1979
Mick Tingelhoff53Minnesota Vikings1962–78November 25, 2001
Jim Marshall70Minnesota Vikings1961–79November 28, 1999
Korey Stringer77Minnesota Vikings1995–2000November 19, 2001
Cris Carter80Minnesota Vikings1990–2001September 14, 2003
Alan Page88Minnesota Vikings1967–78September 25, 1988
Gino Cappelletti20New England Patriots1960–70 [27]
Mike Haynes40New England Patriots1976–82 [28]
Steve Nelson57New England Patriots1974–87July 11, 1988 [28]
John Hannah73New England Patriots1973–85 [28]
Bruce Armstrong78New England Patriots1987–20002000 [28]
Jim Lee Hunt79New England Patriots1960–70 [28]
Bob Dee89New England Patriots1960–67 [28]
Jim Taylor31New Orleans Saints1967
Doug Atkins81New Orleans Saints1967–69December 19, 1969
Ray Flaherty1New York Giants1928–35
Tuffy Leemans4New York Giants1936–43
Mel Hein7New York Giants1931–45
Eli Manning10New York Giants2004–19 [29]
Phil Simms11New York Giants1979–93September 4, 1995
Ward Cuff14New York Giants1937–45 [30]
Y. A. Tittle14New York Giants1961–641965
Frank Gifford16New York Giants1952–64October 19, 2000
Al Blozis32New York Giants1942–441945
Joe Morrison40New York Giants1959–721970
Charlie Conerly42New York Giants1948–611962
Michael Strahan92New York Giants1993-2007 [31]
Ken Strong50New York Giants1936–47Prior to 1968
Lawrence Taylor56New York Giants1981–93October 11, 1994
Joe Namath12New York Jets1965–76October 14, 1985
Don Maynard13New York Jets1963–72
Curtis Martin28New York Jets1998–2005September 9, 2012 [32]
Joe Klecko73New York Jets1977–87December 26, 2004
Dennis Byrd90New York Jets1989–92October 28, 2012 [33][34]
Donovan McNabb5Philadelphia Eagles1999–2009September 20, 2013 [35]
Steve Van Buren15Philadelphia Eagles1944–511951 [36]
Brian Dawkins20Philadelphia Eagles1996–2008September 30, 2012 [37]
Tom Brookshier40Philadelphia Eagles1953–611962 [36]
Pete Retzlaff44Philadelphia Eagles1956–661965 [36]
Chuck Bednarik60Philadelphia Eagles1949–62
Al Wistert70Philadelphia Eagles1944–511952 [36]
Reggie White92Philadelphia Eagles1985–92December 5, 2005 [36][38]
Jerome Brown99Philadelphia Eagles1987–91September 6, 1992 [36][39]
Ernie Stautner70Pittsburgh Steelers1950–63October 25, 1964
Joe Greene75Pittsburgh Steelers1969–81November 2, 2014 [40]
Steve Young8San Francisco 49ers1987–99October 5, 2008 [41]
John Brodie12San Francisco 49ers1957–73 [42]
Joe Montana16San Francisco 49ers1979–92December 15, 1997
Joe Perry34San Francisco 49ers1948–601971
Jimmy Johnson37San Francisco 49ers1961–761977
Hugh McElhenny39San Francisco 49ers1952–60
Ronnie Lott42San Francisco 49ers1981–90November 17, 2003 [43]
Charlie Krueger70San Francisco 49ers1959–731974
Leo Nomellini73San Francisco 49ers1950–631971
Bob St. Clair79San Francisco 49ers1953–63December 2, 2001
Jerry Rice80San Francisco 49ers1985–2000September 20, 2010 [44]
Dwight Clark87San Francisco 49ers1979–871988
Kenny Easley45Seattle Seahawks1981–87October 1, 2017
Walter Jones71Seattle Seahawks1997–2009December 5, 2010
Steve Largent80Seattle Seahawks1976–891992 [45]
Cortez Kennedy96Seattle Seahawks1990–2000October 14, 2012 [46][47]
Fans (12th man)12Seattle Seahawks1984–December 15, 1984
Derrick Brooks55Tampa Bay Buccaneers1995–08September 14, 2014 [48]
Lee Roy Selmon63Tampa Bay Buccaneers1976–84September 15, 1986
Warren Sapp99Tampa Bay Buccaneers1995–03November 11, 2013 [49]
Warren Moon1Tennessee Titans1984–93October 1, 2006 [50][51]
Steve McNair9Tennessee Titans1995–2005September 15, 2019 [52]
Eddie George27Tennessee Titans1996–2003September 15, 2019 [52]
Earl Campbell34Tennessee Titans1978–84August 13, 1987
Jim Norton43Tennessee Titans1960–68June 6, 2019
Mike Munchak63Tennessee Titans1982–931996
Elvin Bethea65Tennessee Titans1968–83
Bruce Matthews74Tennessee Titans1983–2001
Sammy Baugh33Washington Redskins1937–52
Bobby Mitchell49Washington Redskins1962–68

Key:

*- Player listed as honorable mention and was allowed to wear number after original retirement

See also

References
  1. "Atlanta Falcons Ring Of Honor". AtlantaFalcons.com.
  2. "The 00 Fad: It's Much Ado About Nothing". The Chicago Tribune. May 27, 1990.
  3. "NFL Retired Player Numbers". NFL.com. National Football League. Retrieved January 28, 2017.
  4. "Pat Tillman". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  5. The Times newspaper 2001-12-19, scanned and uploaded to Google News, retrieved December 6, 2011
  6. Bills to retire Thurman Thomas' number 34 during Monday's game. Rochester First (October 29, 2018). Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  7. Bills’ Bruce Smith to have jersey number retired at 2016 home opener. WIVB-TV (May 10, 2016). Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  8. Davis was a member of the 1962 Browns team but due to a bout of cancer that at the time was in remission, coach Paul Brown refused to play him. The cancer returned later in 1962, eventually killing Davis in the 1963 offseason. Ernie Davis biography
  9. "Lou "The Toe" Groza". Lou Groza Charity Golf Event. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  10. "Lou Groza". American Football Kicking Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  11. Peyton Manning received permission from Frank Tripucka to wear No. 18 during his time with the Broncos.
  12. "Packers retire Reggie White's jersey" Archived April 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, October 11, 1999
  13. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 20, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. Played for the Colts while the franchise was at Baltimore.
  15. "HugeDomains.com - KcChiefsFootball.com is for sale (Kc Chiefs Football)". www.hugedomains.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012.
  16. Johnson died from injuries sustained in the 1963 preseason, his rookie campaign. Stone Johnson died 50 years ago from injury in NFL game
  17. "Chiefs retire Thomas' No. 58 at half" - ESPN, December 6, 2009
  18. Hewitt, Brian (March 31, 1988). "Chargers Have Seen Their Final No. 14 : Spanos Says Fouts' Jersey to Become Only One Retired by Team". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  19. Crow, Alfie (May 12, 2012). "Chargers Will Retire Junior Seau's No. 55". SB Nation. Retrieved December 30, 2018. Fouts' number was retired in 1988 and Alworth's was retired in 2005.
  20. Played for the Chargers while the franchise was at San Diego.
  21. "On a banner day for Alworth, Chargers retire jersey No. 19", The San Diego Union Tribune, November 21, 2005
  22. ""Chargers To Retire LaDainian Tomlinson's Number"". Archived from the original on March 31, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  23. ESPN, May 11, 2012
  24. "Rams retire Faulk's No. 28 jersey at halftime", NFL news (official), December 22, 2007
  25. "Rams retire Jones' No. 75 jersey", ESPN, September 27, 2009
  26. "Rams retire Isaac Bruce's number", ESPN, October 31, 2010
  27. "NFL Players | Taste of the NFL". tnfl.
  28. "Patriots Grogan and Bledsoe Caught in Retired Numbers Game | Bleacher Report | Latest News, Videos and Highlights".
  29. Botte, Peter (January 24, 2020). "Eli Manning saying goodbye to Giants 'my way' in retirement press conference".
  30. "NY Giants information guide" (PDF). prod.static.giants.clubs.nfl.com. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  31. "Giants also planning to retire Michael Strahan's No. 92". January 25, 2020.
  32. "Curtis Martin has jersey number retired by Jets", Daynews, September 9, 2012
  33. Cimini, Rich (October 24, 2012). "The bond no man could break". ESPNNewYork.com. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  34. Lange, Randy (October 28, 2012). "Jets Come Up Empty in 30-9 Loss to Dolphins". NewYorkJets.com. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
  35. "Fans cheer as McNabb has number retired". ESPN.com. September 20, 2013.
  36. Daily Philadelphian.com Archived May 13, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, August 14, 2011
  37. "Dawkins Speaks, Number Retired".
  38. "Eagles honor Reggie White, retire his jersey", ESPN, December 5, 2005
  39. "Eagles make sure no one wears 99 again" - The Morning Call, September 7, 1992
  40. "'Completely overwhelming': Steelers raise curtain on Joe Greene's No. 75". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  41. "49ers to retire Young's #8", TSN website, September 25, 2008
  42. Trent Dilfer received permission from Brodie, a personal friend, to wear #12 during his time with the 49ers."Dilfer to wear longtime hero Brodie's No. 12", ESPN, July 28, 2006
  43. "49ers to retire Lott's jersey" - SF Gate.com, November 6, 2003
  44. "49ers retire Jerry Rice's number at half" - ESPN, September 21, 2010
  45. Jerry Rice received permission from Largent to wear #80 during his time with the Seahawks."Seahawks/NFL: Loan of No. 80 a class act by Hawks' classiest", October 22, 2004
  46. "Seahawks retire Cortez Kennedy's No. 96", King5.com Archived December 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, October 14, 2012
  47. "Hawks to retire Cortez Kennedy’s jersey", The News Tribune, October 11, 2012
  48. "Brooks' #55 To Be Retired".
  49. "Bucs to retire Warren Sapp's No. 99", May 2, 2013
  50. "Titans Retire Warren Moon's No. 1", October 6, 2010
  51. "Retired jersey numbers on Titans website". Archived from the original on July 8, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
  52. Wagner-McGough, Sean (June 12, 2019). "Titans to retire Steve McNair's No. 9 and Eddie George's No. 27 jerseys during home opener". CBSSports.com. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
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