How Many Jersey Numbers have been Retired in the NFL?

Retiring jersey numbers is an age-long tradition in American sports, including the NFL. It is a practice typically used in recognition of a player's contribution to a team or sport. It is sometimes also used to honor players who experience an untimely death while still in the course of their careers. This means the numbers won't be issued to any other player anymore unless in some exceptional cases.

Retired Jersey Numbers in the NFL

A total of 156 players have had their Jersey numbers retired by their team in the National Football League since the culture began. The vast majority of them have been rightfully inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, showcasing why they are so well deserved.

Notable players who have had their jersey numbers retired by their team include big names like Brett Favre, George Halas, Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, Barry Sanders, Jim Kelly, Warren Moon, Larry Csonka, Jerry Rice, and Earl Campbell.

Reggie White is the only player in the history of the NFL to have his jersey number retired by two teams. The 13-time Pro Bowler has had his number 92 Jersey retired by both the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Team with Retired Jersey Numbers

Retiring jersey numbers is a common practice among NFL teams. A total of 27 of them currently have at least one player's jersey number retired. This number is definitely likely to increase with respect to future occurrences in some teams.

The Chicago Bears, alongside the New York Giants, have the most retired jersey numbers in the NFL, with 14 each. This includes Mike Ditka (89) and Walter Payton (34) for the Bears, as well as Michael Strahan (92) and Eli Manning (10) for the Giants.

The Carolina Panthers have the least among professional football teams that have retired players' jersey numbers. The team, which started competing in the NFL in 1995, retired Sam Mills' jersey number 55 in 2005 after the demise of the former linebacker.

What Teams Haven’t Retired any Jersey Numbers?

Traditionally, three professional football teams don't retire players' jersey numbers. These include the Dallas Cowboys, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Las Vegas Raiders. Despite the great names that have featured for these teams, they do not currently have any jersey numbers officially retired.

The Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans are the other two teams that haven't retired any jersey numbers. However, they are the last two expansion franchises in the league and have less than 30 years of existence. It remains to be seen whether they will consider employing the culture in the future or rather choose not to.