List of National Football League retired numbers
This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2017) |
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[]
This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2020) |
Since NFL teams began retiring numbers, 139 players have had their jersey number retired. The Chicago Bears and the New York Giants have the most retired numbers of the teams with 14 each. Only one player, Reggie White, has had his number retired by two teams, although Peyton Manning received an acknowledgment when the Denver Broncos re-retired the number 18, which is officially retired under the name of Frank Tripucka (who granted Manning a special exception to wear the number).[1] Three teams –the Las Vegas Raiders, the Atlanta Falcons,[2] and the Dallas Cowboys– traditionally do not retire jersey numbers, and two others –the Washington Football Team 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.[citation needed]
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.[3]
Retired numbers[]
Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame |
Player | No. | Team | Years with team | Year retired | Refs[4] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Larry Wilson | 8 | Arizona Cardinals | 1960–72 | 1970 | |
Pat Tillman | 40 | 1998–2001 | 2004 | [5] | |
Stan Mauldin | 77 | 1946–48 | |||
J. V. Cain | 88 | 1974–78 | 1979 | ||
Marshall Goldberg* | 99 | 1939–43, 1946–48 | |||
Jim Kelly | 12 | Buffalo Bills | 1986–96 | 2001 | [6] |
Thurman Thomas | 34 | 1988–99 | 2018 | [7] | |
Bruce Smith | 78 | 1985–99 | 2016 | [8] | |
Sam Mills | 51 | Carolina Panthers | 1995–97 | 2005 | |
Bronko Nagurski | 3 | Chicago Bears | 1930–37, 1943 | ||
George McAfee | 5 | 1940–41, 1945–50 | |||
George Halas | 7 | 1920–28 | |||
Willie Galimore | 28 | 1957–63 | |||
Walter Payton | 34 | 1975–87 | |||
Gale Sayers | 40 | 1965–71 | 1994 | ||
Brian Piccolo | 41 | 1965–69 | |||
Sid Luckman | 42 | 1939–50 | |||
Dick Butkus | 51 | 1965–73 | 1994 | ||
Bill Hewitt | 56 | 1932–36 | |||
Bill George | 61 | 1952–65 | |||
Bulldog Turner | 66 | 1940–52 | |||
Red Grange | 77 | 1925–34 | |||
Mike Ditka | 89 | 1961–66 | 2013 | ||
Bob Johnson | 54 | Cincinnati Bengals | 1968–79 | 1978 | |
Otto Graham | 14 | Cleveland Browns | 1946–55 | ||
Jim Brown | 32 | 1957–65 | |||
Ernie Davis | 45 | 1962[9] | |||
Don Fleming | 46 | 1960–62 | |||
Lou Groza | 76 | 1946–59, 1961–67 | 1968 | [10][11] | |
John Elway | 7 | Denver Broncos | 1983–98 | 1999 | [12][13] |
Frank Tripucka* | 18 | 1960–63 | 1963 | [14][13] | |
Floyd Little | 44 | 1967–75 | [13] | ||
Dutch Clark | 7 | Detroit Lions | 1931-32, 1934–38 | ||
Lem Barney | 20 | 1967-77 | 2004 | [15] | |
Billy Sims | 20 | 1980-84 | 2004 | [15] | |
Barry Sanders | 20 | 1989–98 | 2004 | [15] | |
Bobby Layne | 22 | 1950–58 | |||
Doak Walker | 37 | 1950–55 | |||
Joe Schmidt | 56 | 1953–65 | |||
Chuck Hughes | 85 | 1970–71 | |||
Tony Canadeo | 3 | Green Bay Packers | 1941–52 | 1952 | |
Brett Favre | 4 | 1992–2007 | 2015 | ||
Don Hutson | 14 | 1935–45 | 1951 | ||
Bart Starr | 15 | 1956–71 | 1973 | ||
Ray Nitschke | 66 | 1958–72 | 1983 | ||
Reggie White | 92 | 1993–98 | 2005 | [16] | |
Peyton Manning | 18 | Indianapolis Colts | 1998–2011 | 2017 | [17] |
Johnny Unitas | 19 | 1956–72 | [18] | ||
Buddy Young | 22 | 1953–55 | [18] | ||
Lenny Moore | 24 | 1956–67 | [18] | ||
Art Donovan | 70 | 1953–61 | 1962 | [18] | |
Jim Parker | 77 | 1957–67 | [18] | ||
Raymond Berry | 82 | 1955–67 | [18] | ||
Gino Marchetti | 89 | 1953–66 | [18] | ||
Jan Stenerud | 3 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1967–79 | 1992 | |
Len Dawson | 16 | 1962–75 | |||
Emmitt Thomas | 18 | 1966–78 | 2008 | [19] | |
Abner Haynes | 28 | 1960–74 | |||
Stone Johnson | 33 | 1963 | 1963 | [20] | |
Mack Lee Hill | 36 | 1964–65 | |||
Derrick Thomas | 58 | 1989–99 | 2009 | [21] | |
Willie Lanier | 63 | 1967–77 | 1992 | ||
Bobby Bell | 78 | 1963–74 | 1984 | ||
Buck Buchanan | 86 | 1963–75 | 1992 | ||
Dan Fouts | 14 | Los Angeles Chargers | 1973–87 | 1988 | [22][23][24] |
Lance Alworth | 19 | 1962–70 | 2005 | [24][25] | |
LaDainian Tomlinson | 21 | 2001–09 | 2015 | [24][26] | |
Junior Seau | 55 | 1990–02 | 2012 | [24][27] | |
Bob Waterfield | 7 | Los Angeles Rams | 1945–52 | 1952 | |
Marshall Faulk | 28 | 1999–2006 | 2007 | [28] | |
Eric Dickerson | 29 | 1983–87 | |||
Merlin Olsen | 74 | 1962–76 | |||
Deacon Jones | 75 | 1961–71 | 2009 | [29] | |
Jackie Slater | 78 | 1976–95 | |||
Isaac Bruce | 80 | 1994–2007 | 2010 | [30] | |
Jack Youngblood | 85 | 1971–84 | |||
Bob Griese | 12 | Miami Dolphins | 1967–80 | 1985 | |
Dan Marino | 13 | 1983–99 | 2000 | ||
Larry Csonka | 39 | 1968–74, 1979 | 2002 | ||
Fran Tarkenton | 10 | Minnesota Vikings | 1961–66, 1972–78 | 1979 | |
Mick Tingelhoff | 53 | 1962–78 | 2001 | ||
Jim Marshall | 70 | 1961–79 | 1999 | ||
Korey Stringer | 77 | 1995–2000 | 2001 | ||
Cris Carter | 80 | 1990–2001 | 2003 | ||
Alan Page | 88 | 1967–78 | 1988 | ||
Gino Cappelletti | 20 | New England Patriots | 1960–70 | [31] | |
Mike Haynes | 40 | 1976–82 | [32] | ||
Steve Nelson | 57 | 1974–87 | 1988 | [32] | |
John Hannah | 73 | 1973–85 | [32] | ||
Bruce Armstrong | 78 | 1987–2000 | 2000 | [32] | |
Jim Lee Hunt | 79 | 1960–70 | [32] | ||
Bob Dee | 89 | 1960–67 | [32] | ||
Jim Taylor | 31 | New Orleans Saints | 1967 | ||
Doug Atkins | 81 | 1967–69 | 1969 | ||
Ray Flaherty | 1 | New York Giants | 1928–35 | ||
Tuffy Leemans | 4 | 1936–43 | |||
Mel Hein | 7 | 1931–45 | |||
Eli Manning | 10 | 2004–19 | [33] | ||
Phil Simms | 11 | 1979–93 | 1995 | ||
Ward Cuff | 14 | 1937–45 | [34] | ||
Y. A. Tittle | 14 | 1961–64 | 1965 | ||
Frank Gifford | 16 | 1952–64 | 2000 | ||
Al Blozis | 32 | 1942–44 | 1945 | ||
Joe Morrison | 40 | 1959–72 | 1970 | ||
Charlie Conerly | 42 | 1948–61 | 1962 | ||
Ken Strong | 50 | 1936–47 | 1968 | ||
Lawrence Taylor | 56 | 1981–93 | 1994 | ||
Michael Strahan | 92 | 1993-2007 | [35] | ||
Joe Namath | 12 | New York Jets | 1965–76 | 1985 | |
Don Maynard | 13 | 1963–72 | |||
Curtis Martin | 28 | 1998–2005 | 2012 | [36] | |
Joe Klecko | 73 | 1977–87 | 2004 | ||
Dennis Byrd | 90 | 1989–92 | 2012 | [37][38] | |
Donovan McNabb | 5 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1999–2009 | 2013 | [39] |
Steve Van Buren | 15 | 1944–51 | 1951 | [40] | |
Brian Dawkins | 20 | 1996–2008 | 2012 | [41] | |
Tom Brookshier | 40 | 1953–61 | 1962 | [40] | |
Pete Retzlaff | 44 | 1956–66 | 1965 | [40] | |
Chuck Bednarik | 60 | 1949–62 | |||
Al Wistert | 70 | 1944–51 | 1952 | [40] | |
Reggie White | 92 | 1985–92 | 2005 | [40][42] | |
Jerome Brown | 99 | 1987–91 | 1992 | [40][43] | |
Ernie Stautner | 70 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1950–63 | 1964 | |
Joe Greene | 75 | 1969–81 | 2014 | [44] | |
Steve Young | 8 | San Francisco 49ers | 1987–99 | 2008 | [45] |
John Brodie* | 12 | 1957–73 | [46] | ||
Joe Montana | 16 | 1979–92 | 1997 | ||
Joe Perry | 34 | 1948–60 | 1971 | ||
Jimmy Johnson | 37 | 1961–76 | 1977 | ||
Hugh McElhenny | 39 | 1952–60 | |||
Ronnie Lott | 42 | 1981–90 | 2003 | [47] | |
Charlie Krueger | 70 | 1959–73 | 1974 | ||
Leo Nomellini | 73 | 1950–63 | 1971 | ||
Bob St. Clair | 79 | 1953–63 | 2001 | ||
Jerry Rice | 80 | 1985–2000 | 2010 | [48] | |
Dwight Clark | 87 | 1979–87 | 1988 | ||
Kenny Easley | 45 | Seattle Seahawks | 1981–87 | 2017 | |
Walter Jones | 71 | 1997–2009 | 2010 | ||
Steve Largent* | 80 | 1976–89 | 1992 | [49][50] | |
Cortez Kennedy | 96 | 1990–2000 | 2012 | [51][52] | |
Fans (12th man) | 12 | N/A | 1984 | ||
Derrick Brooks | 55 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1995–2008 | 2014 | [53] |
Lee Roy Selmon | 63 | 1976–84 | 1986 | ||
Warren Sapp | 99 | 1995–2003 | 2013 | [54] | |
Warren Moon | 1 | Tennessee Titans | 1984–93 | 2006 | [55][56] |
Steve McNair | 9 | 1995–2005 | 2019 | [57] | |
Eddie George | 27 | 1996–2003 | 2019 | [57] | |
Earl Campbell | 34 | 1978–84 | 1987 | ||
Jim Norton | 43 | 1960–68 | 2019 | ||
Mike Munchak | 63 | 1982–93 | 1996 | ||
Elvin Bethea | 65 | 1968–83 | |||
Bruce Matthews | 74 | 1983–2001 | |||
Sammy Baugh | 33 | Washington Football Team | 1937–52 | [58] | |
Bobby Mitchell | 49 | 1962–68 | 2020 | [58] |
Key:
*- Player listed as honorable mention and was allowed to wear number after original retirement
See also[]
- List of Green Bay Packers retired numbers
- Los Angeles Chargers retired numbers
References[]
- ^ Lynch, Tim (September 18, 2016). "Denver Broncos to unveil retired number signage on Sunday". Mile High Report.
- ^ "Atlanta Falcons Ring Of Honor". Atlanta.
- ^ "The 00 Fad: It's Much Ado About Nothing". The Chicago Tribune. May 27, 1990.
- ^ "NFL Retired Player Numbers". NFL.com. National Football League. Retrieved January 28, 2017.
- ^ "Pat Tillman". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
- ^ The Times newspaper 2001-12-19, scanned and uploaded to Google News, retrieved December 6, 2011
- ^ Bills to retire Thurman Thomas' number 34 during Monday's game. Rochester First (October 29, 2018). Retrieved October 30, 2018.
- ^ Bills’ Bruce Smith to have jersey number retired at 2016 home opener. WIVB-TV (May 10, 2016). Retrieved May 10, 2016.
- ^ 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
- ^ "Lou "The Toe" Groza". Lou Groza Charity Golf Event. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
- ^ "Lou Groza". American Football Kicking Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
- ^ Capello, Jilly (September 23, 2019). "Broncos Retired John Elway's Jersey 20 Years Ago -- Where Is He Now?". Sportscasting | Pure Sports. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Broncos to display three retired jersey numbers at stadium". The Denver Post. September 17, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- ^ *Peyton Manning received permission from Tripucka to wear No. 18 during his time with the Broncos.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Hackenberg, Dave (November 26, 2004). "Lions have 20-20-20 vision". Toledo Blade. Archived from the original on October 19, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ "Packers retire Reggie White's jersey" Archived April 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, October 11, 1999
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 20, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Played for the Colts while the franchise was at Baltimore.
- ^ "HugeDomains.com - KcChiefsFootball.com is for sale (Kc Chiefs Football)". www.hugedomains.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012. Cite uses generic title (help)
- ^ Johnson died from injuries sustained in the 1963 preseason, his rookie campaign. Stone Johnson died 50 years ago from injury in NFL game
- ^ "Chiefs retire Thomas' No. 58 at half" - ESPN, December 6, 2009
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Played for the Chargers while the franchise was at San Diego.
- ^ "On a banner day for Alworth, Chargers retire jersey No. 19", The San Diego Union Tribune, November 21, 2005
- ^ "Chargers To Retire LaDainian Tomlinson's Number". Archived from the original on March 31, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
- ^ ESPN, May 11, 2012
- ^ "Rams retire Faulk's No. 28 jersey at halftime", NFL news (official), December 22, 2007
- ^ "Rams retire Jones' No. 75 jersey", ESPN, September 27, 2009
- ^ "Rams retire Isaac Bruce's number", ESPN, October 31, 2010
- ^ "NFL Players | Taste of the NFL". tnfl.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "Patriots Grogan and Bledsoe Caught in Retired Numbers Game | Bleacher Report | Latest News, Videos and Highlights".
- ^ Botte, Peter (January 24, 2020). "Eli Manning saying goodbye to Giants 'my way' in retirement press conference".
- ^ "NY Giants information guide" (PDF). prod.static.giants.clubs.nfl.com. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
- ^ "Giants also planning to retire Michael Strahan's No. 92". January 25, 2020.
- ^ "Curtis Martin has jersey number retired by Jets", Daynews, September 9, 2012
- ^ Cimini, Rich (October 24, 2012). "The bond no man could break". ESPNNewYork.com. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
- ^ Lange, Randy (October 28, 2012). "Jets Come Up Empty in 30-9 Loss to Dolphins". NewYorkJets.com. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
- ^ "Fans cheer as McNabb has number retired". ESPN.com. September 20, 2013.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Daily Philadelphian.com Archived May 13, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, August 14, 2011
- ^ "Dawkins Speaks, Number Retired".
- ^ "Eagles honor Reggie White, retire his jersey", ESPN, December 5, 2005
- ^ "Eagles make sure no one wears 99 again" - The Morning Call, September 7, 1992
- ^ "'Completely overwhelming': Steelers raise curtain on Joe Greene's No. 75". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ^ "49ers to retire Young's #8", TSN website, September 25, 2008
- ^ 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
- ^ "49ers to retire Lott's jersey" - SF Gate.com, November 6, 2003
- ^ "49ers retire Jerry Rice's number at half" - ESPN, September 21, 2010
- ^ 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
- ^ "Seahawks retire Cortez Kennedy's No. 96", King5.com Archived December 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, October 14, 2012
- ^ "Hawks to retire Cortez Kennedy’s jersey", The News Tribune, October 11, 2012
- ^ "Brooks' #55 To Be Retired".
- ^ "Bucs to retire Warren Sapp's No. 99", May 2, 2013
- ^ "Titans Retire Warren Moon's No. 1", October 6, 2010
- ^ "Retired jersey numbers on Titans website". Archived from the original on July 8, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
- ^ Jump up to: a b 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.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Keim, John (June 20, 2020). "Washington Redskins to retire No. 49 of Bobby Mitchell, HOFer and team's first black player". ESPN. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
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