Perhaps there is no greater honor in professional sports. In 1935 the New York Giants retired the uniform number of receiver Ray Flaherty (No. 1), thus becoming the first professional athlete to have his name and number etched in eternity by his team.
Currently, 139 players, including Seattle retiring the No. 12 recognizing Seahawks fans, have had this honor bestowed upon them.
The Chicago Bears have the most retired numbers of any team with 14. Only one player, Reggie White, has had their number retired by two teams. Three teams -- the Oakland Raiders, Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys -- traditionally do not retire jersey numbers, and two others -- the Washington Redskins and the Pittsburgh Steelers -- only do so in extremely rare circumstances. Also without a retired jersey number are the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars
The following are the 139 players to have their number currently retired:
Currently Retired NFL Jersey Numbers
Source: NFL | ||||
Player | Number | Team | Seasons with Team | |
Larry Wilson | 8 | Arizona Cardinals | 1960 - 72 | |
Pat Tillman | 40 | Arizona Cardinals | 1998 - 2001 | |
Stan Mauldin | 77 | Arizona Cardinals | 1946 - 48 | |
J. V. Cain | 88 | Arizona Cardinals | 1974 - 78 | |
Marshall Goldberg | 99 | Arizona Cardinals | 1939 - 43, 1946 - 48 | |
Jim Kelly | 12 | Buffalo Bills | 1986 - 96< | |
Thurman Thomas | 34 | Buffalo Bills | 1988 - 99 | |
Bruce Smith | 78 | Buffalo Bills | 1985 - 99 | |
Sam Mills | 51 | Carolina Panthers | 1995 - 97 | |
Bronko Nagurski | 3 | Chicago Bears | 1930 - 37, 1943 | |
George McAfee | 5 | Chicago Bears | 1940 - 41, 1945 - 50 | |
George Halas | 7 | Chicago Bears | 1920 - 28 | |
Willie Galimore | 28 | Chicago Bears | 1957 - 63 | |
Walter Payton | 34 | Chicago Bears | 1975 - 87 | |
Gale Sayers | 40 | Chicago Bears | 1965 - 71 | |
Brian Piccolo | 41 | Chicago Bears | 1965 - 69 | |
Sid Luckman | 42 | Chicago Bears | 1939 - 50 | |
Dick Butkus | 51 | Chicago Bears | 1965 - 73 | |
Bill Hewitt | 56 | Chicago Bears | 1932 - 36 | |
Bill George | 61 | Chicago Bears | 1952 - 65 | |
Bulldog Turner | 66 | Chicago Bears | 1940 - 52 | |
Red Grange | 77 | Chicago Bears | 1925 - 34 | |
Mike Ditka | 89 | Chicago Bears | 1961 - 66 | |
Bob Johnson | 54 | Cincinnati Bengals | 1968 - 79 | |
Otto Graham | 14 | Cleveland Browns | 1946 - 55 | |
Jim Brown | 32 | Cleveland Browns | 1957 - 65 | |
Ernie Davis | 45 | Cleveland Browns | 1962 | |
Don Fleming | 46 | Cleveland Browns | 1960 - 62 | |
Lou Groza | 76 | Cleveland Browns | 1946 - 59, 1961 - 67 | |
John Elway | 7 | Denver Broncos | 1983 - 99 | |
Frank Tripucka | 18 | Denver Broncos | 1960 - 63 | |
Floyd Little | 44 | Denver Broncos | 1967 - 75 | |
Dutch Clark | 7 | Detroit Lions | 1934 - 38 | |
Barry Sanders | 20 | Detroit Lions | 1989 - 98 | |
Bobby Layne | 22 | Detroit Lions | 1950 - 58 | |
Doak Walker | 37 | Detroit Lions | 1950 - 55 | |
Joe Schmidt | 56 | Detroit Lions | 1953 - 65 | |
Chuck Hughes | 85 | Detroit Lions | 1970 - 71 | |
Tony Canadeo | 3 | Green Bay Packers | 1941 - 52 | |
Brett Favre | 4 | Green Bay Packers | 1992 - 2007 | |
Don Hutson | 14 | Green Bay Packers | 1935 - 45 | |
Bart Starr | 15 | Green Bay Packers | 1956 - 71 | |
Ray Nitschke | 66 | Green Bay Packers | 1958 - 72 | |
Reggie White | 92 | Green Bay Packers | 1993 - 98 | |
Peyton Manning | 18 | Indianapolis Colts | 1998 - 2011 | |
Johnny Unitas | 19 | Indianapolis Colts | 1956 - 72 | |
Buddy Young | 22 | Indianapolis Colts | 1953 - 55 | |
Lenny Moore | 24 | Indianapolis Colts | 1956 - 67 | |
Art Donovan | 70 | Indianapolis Colts | 1953 - 61 | |
Jim Parker | 77 | Indianapolis Colts | 1957 - 67 | |
Raymond Berry | 82 | Indianapolis Colts | 1955 - 67 | |
Gino Marchetti | 89 | Indianapolis Colts | 1953 - 66 | |
Jan Stenerud | 3 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1967 - 79 | |
Len Dawson | 16 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1962 - 75 | |
Emmitt Thomas | 18 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1966 - 78 | |
Abner Haynes | 28 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1960 - 74 | |
Stone Johnson | 33 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1963 | |
Mack Lee Hill | 36 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1964 - 65 | |
Derrick Thomas | 58 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1989 - 99 | |
Willie Lanier | 63 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1967 - 77 | |
Bobby Bell | 78 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1963 - 74 | |
Buck Buchanan | 86 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1963 - 75 | |
Dan Fouts | 14 | Los Angeles Chargers | 1973 - 87 | |
Lance Alworth | 19 | Los Angeles Chargers | 1962 - 70 | |
LaDainian Tomlinson | 21 | Los Angeles Chargers | 2001 - 09 | |
Junior Seau | 55 | Los Angeles Chargers | 1990 - 02 | |
Bob Waterfield | 7 | Los Angeles Rams | 1945 - 52 | |
Marshall Faulk | 28 | Los Angeles Rams | 1999 - 2006 | |
Eric Dickerson | 29 | Los Angeles Rams | 1983 - 87 | |
Merlin Olsen | 74 | Los Angeles Rams | 1962 - 76 | |
Deacon Jones | 75 | Los Angeles Rams | 1961 - 71 | |
Jackie Slater | 78 | Los Angeles Rams | 1976 - 95 | |
Isaac Bruce | 80 | Los Angeles Rams | 1994 - 2007 | |
Jack Youngblood | 85 | Los Angeles Rams | 1971 - 84 | |
Bob Griese | 12 | Miami Dolphins | 1967 - 80 | |
Dan Marino | 13 | Miami Dolphins | 1983 - 99 | |
Larry Csonka | 39 | [[Miami Dolphins | 1968 - 74, 1979 | |
Fran Tarkenton | 10 | Minnesota Vikings | 1961 - 66, 1972 - 78 | |
Mick Tingelhoff | 53 | Minnesota Vikings | 1962 - 78 | |
Jim Marshall | 70 | Minnesota Vikings | 1961 - 79 | |
Korey Stringer | 77 | Minnesota Vikings | 1995 - 2000 | |
Cris Carter | 80 | Minnesota Vikings | 1990 - 2001 | |
Alan Page | 88 | Minnesota Vikings | 1967 - 78 | |
Gino Cappelletti | 20 | New England Patriots | 1960 - 70 | |
Mike Haynes dab=cornerback | 40 | New England Patriots | 1976 - 82 | |
Steve Nelson | 57''' | [[New England Patriots | 1974 - 87 | |
John Hannah | 73 | New England Patriots | 1973 - 85 | |
Bruce Armstrong | 78 | New England Patriots | 1987 - 2000 | |
Jim Lee Hunt | 79 | New England Patriots | 1960 - 70 | |
Bob Dee | 89 | New England Patriots | 1960 - 67 | |
Jim Taylor | 31 | New Orleans Saints | 1967 | |
Doug Atkins | 81 | New Orleans Saints | 1967 - 69 | |
Ray Flaherty | 1 | New York Giants | 1928 - 35 | |
Tuffy Leemans | 4 | New York Giants | 1936 - 43 | |
Mel Hein | 7 | New York Giants | 1931 - 45 | |
Phil Simms | 11 | New York Giants | 1979 - 93 | |
Ward Cuff | 14 | New York Giants | 1937 - 45 | |
Y. A. Tittle | 14 | New York Giants | 1961 - 64 | |
Frank Gifford | 16 | New York Giants | 1952 - 64 | |
Al Blozis | 32 | New York Giants | 1942 - 44 | |
Charlie Conerly | 42 | New York Giants | 1948 - 61 | |
Ken Strong | 50 | New York Giants | 1936 - 47 | |
Lawrence Taylor | 56 | New York Giants | 1981 - 93 | |
Joe Namath | 12 | New York Jets | 1965 - 76 | |
Don Maynard | 13 | New York Jets | 1963 - 72 | |
Curtis Martin | 28 | New York Jets | 1998 - 2005 | |
Joe Klecko | 73 | New York Jets | 1977 - 87 | |
Dennis Byrd | 90 | New York Jets | 1989 - 92 | |
Donovan McNabb | 5 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1999 - 2009 | |
Steve Van Buren | 15 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1944 - 51 | |
Brian Dawkins | 20 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1996 - 2008 | |
Tom Brookshier | 40 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1953 - 61 | |
Pete Retzlaff | 44 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1956 - 66 | |
Chuck Bednarik | 60 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1949 - 62 | |
Al Wistert | 70 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1944 - 51 | |
Reggie White | 92 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1985 - 92 | |
Jerome Brown | 99 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1987 - 91 | |
Ernie Stautner | 70 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1950 - 63 | |
Joe Greene | 75 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1969 - 81 | |
Steve Young | 8 | San Francisco 49ers | 1987 - 99 | |
John Brodie | 12 | San Francisco 49ers | 1957 - 73 | |
Joe Montana | 16 | San Francisco 49ers | 1979 - 92 | |
Joe Perry | 34 | San Francisco 49ers | 1948 - 60 | |
Jimmy Johnson | 37 | San Francisco 49ers | 1961 - 76 | |
Hugh McElhenny | 39 | San Francisco 49ers | 1952 - 60 | |
Ronnie Lott | 42 | San Francisco 49ers | 1981 - 90 | |
Charlie Krueger | 70 | San Francisco 49ers | 1959 - 73 | |
Leo Nomellini | 73 | San Francisco 49ers | 1950 - 63 | |
Bob St. Clair | 79 | San Francisco 49ers | 1953 - 63 | |
Jerry Rice | 80 | San Francisco 49ers | 1985 - 2000 | |
Dwight Clark | 87 | San Francisco 49ers | 1979 - 87 | |
Kenny Easley | 45 | Seattle Seahawks | 1981 - 87 | |
Walter Jones | 71 | Seattle Seahawks | 1997 - 2009 | |
Steve Largent | 80 | Seattle Seahawks | 1976 - 89 | |
Cortez Kennedy | 96 | Seattle Seahawks | 1990 - 2000 | |
"12th Man" Fans | 12 | Seattle Seahawks | 1984 - | |
Derrick Brooks | 55 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1995 - 08 | |
Lee Roy Selmon | 63 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1976 - 84 | |
Warren Sapp | 99 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1995 - 03 | |
Warren Moon | 1 | Tennessee Titans | 1984 - 93 | |
Earl Campbell | 34 | Tennessee Titans | 1978 - 84 | |
Jim Norton dab=safety | 43 | Tennessee Titans | 1960 - 68 | |
Mike Munchak | 63 | Tennessee Titans | 1982 - 93 | |
Elvin Bethea | 65 | Tennessee Titans | 1968 - 83 | |
Bruce Matthews | 74 | Tennessee Titans | 1983 - 2001 | |
Sammy Baugh | 33 | Washington Redskins | 1937 - 52 |
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