List of NFL 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.

San Francisco 49ers. retired numbers displayed at Candlestick Park in June 2009

History

The Green Bay Packers retired numbers on display at Lambeau Field, which include Reggie White, the only NFL player to have his number retired by two teams.

Since NFL teams began retiring numbers, 163 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.

Reggie White is the only player whose number was retired by two teams (the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles). While Peyton Manning's number is only officially retired by the Indianapolis Colts, he received an acknowledgment when the Denver Broncos re-retired the number 18, which is officially retired under the name of Frank Tripucka (Tripucka granted Manning permission to wear the number).^[1] The Atlanta Falcons,^[2][3] Dallas Cowboys,^[4] and Las Vegas Raiders^[5] traditionally do not retire jersey numbers. The New Orleans Saints previously retired numbers, having done so for Jim Taylor and Doug Atkins, but under new ownership those numbers were unretired.^[6] Also without a retired jersey number are the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans, though these teams are less than 30 years old: in this regard, the Texans do not retire numbers but honor player jerseys instead.^{[citation needed]}

The Buffalo Bills under previous owner Ralph Wilson also did not retire jersey numbers, with the exception of Jim Kelly. This policy was reversed under Wilson's successor Terry Pegula.^[7]

Unlike Major League Baseball (which retired Jackie Robinson's number 42), the National Hockey League (which retired Wayne Gretzky's 99), and the National Basketball Association (which retired Bill Russell's 6), the NFL has never retired a jersey number league-wide in honor of anyone.

The number 00 is no longer allowed, but was not retired in honor of any particular player; rather, the NFL's positional numbering system, instituted in 1973, does not allocate a position for players wearing that number. The NFL allowed 00 in the past, with Steve Bagarus, Jim Otto, and Ken 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]

Retired numbers

Pro Football Hall of Fame member

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

Jim Brown's #32 was retired by the Browns after his 9-years tenure on the franchise

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

Peyton Manning's number 18 was retired by the Colts in 2017

Sonny Jurgensen's number 9 was retired by the Washington Commanders in 2022

Tom 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

Player	No.	Team	Tenure	Year retired	Refs.[9]
Larry Wilson	8	Arizona Cardinals	1960–1972	1970
Pat Tillman	40		1998–2001	2004	[10]
Stan Mauldin	77		1946–1948	1948
J. V. Cain	88		1974–1978	1979
Marshall Goldberg[a]	99		1939–1943, 1946–1948	1948
Jim Kelly	12	Buffalo Bills	1986–1996	2001	[13]
Thurman Thomas	34		1988–1999	2018	[14]
Bruce Smith	78		1985–1999	2016	[15]
Sam Mills	51	Carolina Panthers	1995–1997	2005
Bronko Nagurski	3	Chicago Bears	1930–1937, 1943		[16]
George McAfee	5		1940–1941, 1945–1950	1955	[16]
George Halas	7		1920–1928		[16]
Willie Galimore	28		1957–1963		[16]
Walter Payton	34		1975–1987		[16]
Gale Sayers	40		1965–1971	1994	[16]
Brian Piccolo	41		1965–1969		[16]
Sid Luckman	42		1939–1950		[16]
Dick Butkus	51		1965–1973	1994	[16]
Bill Hewitt	56		1932–1936		[16]
Bill George	61		1952–1965		[16]
Bulldog Turner	66		1940–1952		[16]
Red Grange	77		1925–1934		[16]
Mike Ditka	89		1961–1966	2013	[17][16]
Bob Johnson	54	Cincinnati Bengals	1968–1979	1978
Otto Graham	14	Cleveland Browns	1946–1955
Jim Brown	32		1957–1965
Ernie Davis	45		1962[b]	1963
Don Fleming	46		1960–1962
Lou Groza	76		1946–1959, 1961–1967	1968	[21][22]
John Elway	7	Denver Broncos	1983–1998	1999	[23][24]
Frank Tripucka[c]	18		1960–1963	1963	[24]
Floyd Little	44		1967–1975	1984	[24]
Dutch Clark	7	Detroit Lions	1931–1932, 1934–1938	1939	[29][30][31]
Lem Barney	20		1967–1977	2004	[32][33]
Barry Sanders			1989–1998
Billy Sims			1980–1984
Bobby Layne	22		1950–1958		[29]
Doak Walker	37		1950–1955	1955	[29][34][35]
Joe Schmidt	56		1953–1965		[29]
Chuck Hughes	85		1970–1971		[29]
Tony Canadeo	3	Green Bay Packers	1941–1952	1952
Brett Favre	4		1992–2007	2015
Don Hutson	14		1935–1945	1951
Bart Starr	15		1956–1971	1973
Ray Nitschke	66		1958–1972	1983
Reggie White	92		1993–1998	1999	[36]
Peyton Manning	18	Indianapolis Colts	1998–2011	2017	[37]
Johnny Unitas	19		1956–1972		[38]
Buddy Young	22		1953–1955		[38]
Lenny Moore	24		1956–1967	1968	[38]
Art Donovan	70		1953–1961	1962	[38]
Jim Parker	77		1957–1967		[38]
Raymond Berry	82		1955–1967		[38]
Gino Marchetti	89		1953–1966		[38]
Tony Boselli	71	Jacksonville Jaguars	1995–2001	2022	[39]
Jan Stenerud	3	Kansas City Chiefs	1967–1979	1992
Len Dawson	16		1962–1975
Emmitt Thomas	18		1966–1978	2008
Abner Haynes	28		1960–1964
Stone Johnson	33		1963[d]	1963	[43]
Mack Lee Hill	36		1964–1965
Derrick Thomas	58		1989–1999	2009	[44]
Willie Lanier	63		1967–1977	1992
Bobby Bell	78		1963–1974	1984
Buck Buchanan	86		1963–1975	1992
Dan Fouts	14	Los Angeles Chargers[e]	1973–1987	1988	[49][50][51]
Charlie Joiner	18		1976–1986	2023	[52]
Lance Alworth	19		1962–1970	2005	[51][53]
LaDainian Tomlinson	21		2001–2009	2015	[51][54]
Junior Seau	55		1990–2002	2012	[51][55]
Kellen Winslow	80		1979–1987	2023	[52]
Bob Waterfield	7	Los Angeles Rams	1945–1952	1952
Marshall Faulk	28		1999–2006	2007	[56]
Eric Dickerson	29		1983–1987
Merlin Olsen	74		1962–1976
Deacon Jones	75		1961–1971	2009	[57]
Jackie Slater	78		1976–1995	1996
Isaac Bruce	80		1994–2007	2010	[58]
Jack Youngblood	85		1971–1984
Bob Griese	12	Miami Dolphins	1967–1980	1985
Dan Marino	13		1983–1999	2000
Larry Csonka	39		1968–1974, 1979	2002
Fran Tarkenton	10	Minnesota Vikings	1961–1966, 1972–1978	1979
Mick Tingelhoff	53		1962–1978	2001
Jim Marshall	70		1961–1979	1999
Korey Stringer	77		1995–2000	2001
Cris Carter	80		1990–2001	2003
Alan Page	88		1967–1978	1988
Tom Brady	12	New England Patriots	2000–2019	2024	[59]
Gino Cappelletti	20		1960–1970		[60]
Mike Haynes	40		1976–1982		[60]
Steve Nelson	57		1974–1987	1988	[60]
John Hannah	73		1973–1985		[60]
Bruce Armstrong	78		1987–2000	2000	[60]
Jim Lee Hunt	79		1960–1970		[60]
Bob Dee	89		1960–1967		[60]
Ray Flaherty[f]	1	New York Giants	1928–1935	1935
Tuffy Leemans	4		1936–1943	1940
Mel Hein	7		1931–1945	1963
Eli Manning	10		2004–2019	2021	[62]
Phil Simms	11		1979–1993	1995
Ward Cuff	14		1937–1945	1946	[63]
Y. A. Tittle			1961–1964	1965
Frank Gifford	16		1952–1964	2000
Al Blozis	32		1942–1944	1945
Joe Morrison	40		1959–1972	1973
Charlie Conerly	42		1948–1961	1962
Ken Strong	50		1936–1947	1968
Lawrence Taylor	56		1981–1993	1994
Michael Strahan	92		1993–2007	2021	[64]
Joe Namath	12	New York Jets	1965–1976	1985
Don Maynard	13		1963–1972
Curtis Martin	28		1998–2005	2012	[65]
Joe Klecko	73		1977–1987	2004
Dennis Byrd	90		1989–1992	2012	[66][67]
Weeb Ewbank	Jacket		1963–1973
Donovan McNabb	5	Philadelphia Eagles	1999–2009	2013	[68]
Steve Van Buren	15		1944–1951	1951	[69]
Brian Dawkins	20		1996–2008	2012	[70]
Tom Brookshier	40		1953–1961	1962	[69]
Pete Retzlaff	44		1956–1966	1965	[69]
Chuck Bednarik	60		1949–1962
Al Wistert	70		1944–1951	1952	[69]
Reggie White	92		1985–1992	2005	[69][71]
Jerome Brown	99		1987–1991	1992	[69][72]
Franco Harris	32	Pittsburgh Steelers	1972–1983	2022	[73]
Ernie Stautner	70		1950–1963	1964
Joe Greene	75		1969–1981	2014	[74]
Steve Young	8	San Francisco 49ers	1987–1999	2008	[75]
John Brodie[g]	12		1957–1973	1973
Joe Montana	16		1979–1992	1997
Joe Perry	34		1948–1960	1971
Jimmy Johnson	37		1961–1976	1977
Hugh McElhenny	39		1952–1960	1971
Ronnie Lott	42		1981–1990	2003	[77]
Charlie Krueger	70		1959–1973	1974
Leo Nomellini	73		1950–1963	1971
Bob St. Clair	79		1953–1963	2001
Jerry Rice	80		1985–2000	2010	[78]
Dwight Clark	87		1979–1987	1988
Kenny Easley	45	Seattle Seahawks	1981–1987	2017
Walter Jones	71		1997–2009	2010
Steve Largent[h]	80		1976–1989	1992	[80]
Cortez Kennedy	96		1990–2000	2012	[81][82]
FAN (12s)	12		1976-present	1984
Derrick Brooks	55	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1995–2008	2014	[83]
Lee Roy Selmon	63		1976–1984	1986
Warren Sapp	99		1995–2003	2013	[84]
Warren Moon	1	Tennessee Titans	1984–1993	2006	[85][86]
Steve McNair	9		1995–2005	2019	[87]
Eddie George	27		1996–2003	2019	[87]
Earl Campbell	34		1978–1984	1987
Jim Norton	43		1960–1968
Mike Munchak	63		1982–1993	1996
Elvin Bethea	65		1968–1983	1983
Bruce Matthews	74		1983–2001	2002
Sonny Jurgensen	9	Washington Commanders	1964–1974	2022	[88]
Sean Taylor	21		2004–2007	2021	[89]
Darrell Green	28		1983–2002	2024	[90]
Sammy Baugh	33		1937–1952	1953	[91]
Bobby Mitchell	49		1962–1968	2020	[91]

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

Notes

1. No. 99 was re-issued to J. 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]
2. Davis was diagnosed with leukemia that same year,^[18][19] and died shortly after at age 23 without ever playing in a professional game.^[20]
3. No. 18 was re-issued for Peyton 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]
4. On August 30, 1963, he suffered a fractured vertebra in his neck in a preseason game against the Houston 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]
5. Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive tackle Ron 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 the Oakland Raiders.^[47] Then-Chargers owner Gene Klein, who hated the Raiders, unretired Mix's #74.^[48]
6. 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]
7. During his tenure with the 49ers from 2006 to 2007, quarterback Trent Dilfer, a long-time friend of Brodie, wore No. 12 with his permission, unofficially unretiring the number as a tribute.^[76]
8. 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]