San Francisco 49ers. retired numbers displayed at Candlestick Park in June 2009
Teams in theNational 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 untimelydeaths 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.
Since NFL teams began retiring numbers, 163 players have had their jersey number retired. TheChicago Bears and theNew York Giants have the most retired numbers of the teams with 14 each.
The number 00 is no longer allowed, but was not retired in honor of any particular player; rather, theNFL's positional numbering system, instituted in 1973, does not allocate a position for players wearing that number. The NFL allowed 00 in the past, withSteve Bagarus,Jim Otto, andKen Burrough being the only three players to have ever worn it. The number can be, and rarely is, used in the preseason when no other numbers for a player's position are available.[8]
Jim Kelly, the first player to have his jersey number (12) officially retired by the Buffalo Bills, is seen here in 2010Otto Graham, whose number 14 was retired by the Browns, at his new job, as the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Athletic Director in 1959Jim Brown's #32 was retired by the Browns after his 9-years tenure on the franchiseLenny Moore, whose number 24 was retired by the Colts, poses for a picture at Baltimore in 2011Junior Seau, whose number 55 was retired by the Chargers, in 2008 playing a game with theNew England PatriotsPhil Simms, whose number 11 was retired by the Giants, signing autographs at Rams Park in 2003Gale 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 awardMike Ditka, whose number 89 was retired by the Bears in a Monday night game against theDallas CowboysFran Tarkenton, whose number 10 was retired by the Vikings, after giving a speech at Atlanta in 2010Warren Sapp (left), whose number 99 was retired by the Buccaneers, visits members of theUS Navy in 2003Peyton Manning's number 18 was retired by the Colts in 2017Sonny Jurgensen's number 9 was retired by the Washington Commanders in 2022Tom Brady's number 12 was retired by the New England Patriots in 2024, in front of a crowd of 60,000 fans attending his Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony
^While not officially retired,Archie Manning's No. 8 andDrew Brees' No. 9 have not been reissued by the team.
^No. 99 was re-issued toJ. J. Watt after Goldberg's daughter gave her blessing for Watt to wear it on March 2, 2021. Watt wore No. 99 for the 2021 and 2022 seasons until his retirement.[11][12]
^Davis was diagnosed withleukemia that same year,[18][19] and died shortly after at age 23 without ever playing in a professional game.[20]
^No. 18 was re-issued forPeyton Manning after Tripucka gave his approval; it was used by Manning from the 2012 season until his retirement after the 2015 season.[25] Manning's name was added to the retired number's banner as an honorable mention.[26][27][28]
^On August 30, 1963, he suffered a fracturedvertebra in his neck in a preseason game against theHouston Oilers in during a kickoff return. He died 10 days later, on September 8, at the age of 23.[40] He was only on the team's active roster during preseason.[41][42]
^Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive tackleRon Mix in 1969 was the first Charger to have his number retired (#74) after he announced he was quitting football.[45][46] However, he came out of retirement in 1971 to play for theOakland Raiders.[47] Then-Chargers ownerGene Klein, who hated the Raiders, unretired Mix's #74.[48]
^Malik Nabers is currently wearing No. 1 for the Giants, as the Flaherty family gave him permission to do so prior to the 2024 season.[61]
^During his tenure with the 49ers from 2006 to 2007, quarterbackTrent Dilfer, a long-time friend of Brodie, wore No. 12 with his permission, unofficially unretiring the number as a tribute.[76]
^Jerry Rice wore No. 80 for his 2004 stint with the Seahawks. According to Rice, the team offered him the jersey number, with Largent's permission.[79]
^Cam Ward is currently wearing No. 1, having received approval from Moon prior to the 2025 season.[85]
^Hackenberg, Dave (November 26, 2004)."Lions have 20-20-20 vision".Toledo Blade.Archived from the original on October 19, 2019. RetrievedOctober 18, 2019.
^Crow, Alfie (May 12, 2012)."Chargers Will Retire Junior Seau's No. 55".SB Nation. RetrievedDecember 30, 2018.Fouts' number was retired in 1988 and Alworth's was retired in 2005.
^abcdPlayed for the Chargers while the franchise was at San Diego.
