List of NFL retired numbers
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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, 156 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,[2] the Atlanta Falcons,[3][4] and the Dallas Cowboys[5]– traditionally do not retire jersey numbers. Also without a retired jersey number are the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans, though they are less than 30 years old. The Texans, who are the newest member of the league, did not make its first playoff appearance until 2011, and 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.[6]
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.[7]
Retired numbers
Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame |
![Jim Kelly in 2010](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Jim_Kelly_2010_02.jpg/170px-Jim_Kelly_2010_02.jpg)
![Otto Graham in 1959](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/A_photo_of_Otto_Graham.jpg/170px-A_photo_of_Otto_Graham.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Jim_Brown_1959_Topps.jpg/170px-Jim_Brown_1959_Topps.jpg)
![Lenny Moore in 2011](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/1lenny_moore.jpg/170px-1lenny_moore.jpg)
![Phil Simms in 2003](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/Phil_Simms_at_Rams_Park_2004-10-07.jpg/170px-Phil_Simms_at_Rams_Park_2004-10-07.jpg)
![Gale Sayers giving a speech in 2008](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/Gale-Sayers-Jan052008-ArmyFBAwards.jpg/170px-Gale-Sayers-Jan052008-ArmyFBAwards.jpg)
![Mike Ditka in the press booth of a pre-season football game](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Mike_ditka_topps_card_cropped.jpg/170px-Mike_ditka_topps_card_cropped.jpg)
![Fran Tarkenton in 2010](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/Fran_Tarkenton_January_2010.jpg/170px-Fran_Tarkenton_January_2010.jpg)
![Warren Sapp visiting members of the US Navy](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Warren_Sapp.jpg/170px-Warren_Sapp.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/Peyton_Manning_Miami_Super_Bowl_XLIV_team_photo.jpg/170px-Peyton_Manning_Miami_Super_Bowl_XLIV_team_photo.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Sonny_Jurgensen.jpg/170px-Sonny_Jurgensen.jpg)
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
- List of San Francisco 49ers retired numbers
- List of NCAA football retired numbers
References
- ^ Lynch, Tim (September 18, 2016). "Denver Broncos to unveil retired number signage on Sunday". Mile High Report.
- ^ "4 legendary jersey numbers the Raiders should retire". Raiders Wire. June 13, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
- ^ "Atlanta Falcons Ring Of Honor". Atlanta.
- ^ "The Raiders don't retire numbers, but we'd honor these 7 in team's last Oakland season". Retrieved March 15, 2022.
- ^ "Jaylon Smith, Donovan Wilson Switch Numbers". www.dallascowboys.com. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
- ^ "Bills to retire Hall of Famer Smith's No. 78 jersey". ESPN.com. May 11, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Chicago icon Ditka gets Bears jersey retired". ESPN.com. December 10, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b "Detroit Lions Team Facts". ProFootballHOF.com. NFL Enterprises. Archived from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
- ^ Willis, Chris (2012). Dutch Clark: The Life of an NFL Legend and the Birth of the Detroit Lions. The Scarecrow Press, Inc. p. 277. ISBN 978-0810885202. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
- ^ "Cleveland Rams at Detroit Lions - October 15th, 1939". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Berson, Jake (December 7, 1955). "Lions Hold 'Day' For Walker Sunday". Detroit Free Press. p. 7. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Northard, Lloyd (December 12, 1955). "Lions Honor Doak: Walker Hangs Up NFL Cleats, Scoring Title". Brownwood (TX) Bulletin. p. 4. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Packers retire Reggie White's jersey" Archived April 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, October 11, 1999
- ^ "Colts to Erect Peyton Manning Statue Outside of Lucas Oil Stadium". Archived from the original on March 20, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g Played for the Colts while the franchise was at Baltimore.
- ^ Isom, Brie (October 9, 2022). "Tony Boselli's number officially retired, receives Pro Football Hall of Fame ring during halftime". News4Jax. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
- ^ "HugeDomains.com – KcChiefsFootball.com is for sale (Kc Chiefs Football)". www.hugedomains.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012.
{{cite web}}
: 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c d e f "Patriots Grogan and Bledsoe Caught in Retired Numbers Game | Bleacher Report | Latest News, Videos and Highlights". Bleacher Report.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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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