The National Football League is a league of traditions. One of those traditions is retiring the jersey numbers of the most iconic, truly great players. Why do jerseys get retired? The short answer, it’s a way to honor a memorable player’s legacy.
Most of the retired jerseys in the NFL meet one of three conditions: The player has been inducted into the Hall of Fame, or they have had their number retired league-wide like in Major League Baseball where the number #42 is retired in honor of Jackie Robinson. Or they must have been an extremely significant part of the team’s history.
As of the year, 2022 over 155 NFL players have had their jersey number retired including legends like Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, and Peyton Manning. The Chicago Bears and New York Giants lead all other franchises with 14 each! Here’s a look at the retired NFL jersey numbers from all 32 teams, as well as some notable players who wore them.
All retired numbers in NFL history by conference and division
AFC East Retired NFL Jersey Numbers
The AFC East is home to some of the most storied franchises in the NFL, and it’s no surprise that a number of their jerseys have been retired over the years. The Buffalo Bills have retired the jerseys of Thurman Thomas and Bruce Smith, two of the greatest players in franchise history.
The Dolphins have retired the jerseys of Larry Csonka, Dan Marino, and Bob Griese, three of the biggest names in team history. New England has retired the jerseys of Andre Tippett and Steve Grogan, two of the team’s all-time greats. And the New York Jets have retired the jersey of Joe Namath, one of the most popular and iconic players in team history.
| Buffalo Bills | Miami Dolphins | New England Patriots | New York Jets |
| #34: Thurman Thomas | #13: Dan Marino | #57: Steve Nelson | #12: Joe Namath |
| #78: Bruce Smith | #12: Bob Griese | #79: Jim Lee Hunt | #13: Don Maynard |
| #12: Jim Kelly | #39: Larry Csonka | #40: Mike Haynes | #28: Curtis Martin |
| #73: John Hannah | #73: Joe Kłecko | ||
| #89: Bob Dee | #90: Dennis Byrd | ||
| #20: Gino Cappelletti | |||
| #78: Bruce Armstrong |
AFC North Retired NFL Jersey Numbers
When it comes to retired NFL jerseys, the AFC North teams like the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers have a few truly iconic players that have had their jerseys retired. The Baltimore Ravens, surprisingly don’t have any jersey number retired but the likes of Ray Lewis’ No. 52 and Ed Reed’s No. 20, are respectably off-limits.
| Baltimore Ravens | Cincinnati Bengals | Cleveland Browns | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| #54: Bob Johnson | #76: Lou Groza | #60: Chuck Bednarik | |
| #14: Otto Graham | #70: Ernie Stautner | ||
| #46: Don Fleming | #75: Joe Greene | ||
| #45: Ernie Davis | |||
| #32: Jim Brown |
AFC South Retired NFL Jersey Numbers
Of the four teams in the AFC South, Only the Indianapolis Colts, and The Tennessee Titans have retired eight jersey numbers each. One of the most noticeable ones is star quarterback Peyton Manning’s #18. Manning is third on the all-time list of passing touchdowns and passing yards.
The Ravens and Texans are two of the six NFL teams without a retired jersey number, which is understandable given that both teams are less than 30 years old.
| Houston Texans | Indianapolis Colts | Jacksonville Jaguars | Tennessee Titans |
| #22: Buddy Young | #43: Jim Norton | ||
| #19: Johnny Unitas | #63: Mike Munchak | ||
| #77: Jim Parker | #1: Warren Moon | ||
| #24: Lenny Moore | #9: Steve McNair | ||
| #89: Gino Marchetti | #74: Bruce Matthews | ||
| #18: Peyton Manning | #27: Eddie George | ||
| #70: Art Donovan | #34: Earl Campbell | ||
| #82: Raymond Berry | #65: Elvin Bethea |
AFC West Retired NFL Jersey Numbers
Some of the most famous retired jerseys belong to players who played for AFC West teams like the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Chargers.
These players include quarterback John Elway, running back Terrell Davis, and linebacker Junior Seau. Each of these players made a significant impact on the game of football and their jersey numbers have been retired by their respective teams.
| Denver Broncos | Kansas City Chiefs | Las Vegas Raiders | Los Angeles Chargers |
| #18: Frank Tripucka* | #18: Emmitt Thomas | #21: LaDainian Tomlinson | |
| #44: Floyd Little | #58: Derrick Thomas | #55: Junior Seau | |
| #7: John Elway | #3: Jan Stenerud | #14: Dan Fouts | |
| #63: Willie Lanier | #19: Lance Alworth | ||
| #33: Stone Johnson | |||
| #36: Mack Lee Hill | |||
| #28: Abner Haynes | |||
| #16: Len Dawson | |||
| #86: Buck Buchanan | |||
| #78: Bobby Bell |
NFC East Retired NFL Jersey Numbers
The NFC East has retired some of the most iconic jersey numbers in NFL history. The New York Giants have the joint-most retired jersey numbers in the league with legends like Lawrence Taylor and Eli Manning having their numbers retired.
The Philadelphia Eagles have retired the jerseys of players like Reggie White and Brian Dawkins. The Washington Commanders have retired the jersey of legendary quarterback Sammy Baugh
Although the Cowboys do not currently have any retired jersey numbers, they have had some great players over the years, including Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach and Super Bowl-winning head coach Tom Landry.
| Dallas Cowboys | New York Giants | Philadelphia Eagles | Washington Commanders |
| #14: Y. A. Tittle | #70: Al Wistert | #21: Sean Taylor | |
| #56: Lawrence Taylor | #92: Reggie White | #49: Bobby Mitchell | |
| #50: Ken Strong | #15: Steve Van Buren | #33: Sammy Baugh | |
| #92: Michael Strahan | #44: Pete Retzlaff | ||
| #11: Phil Simms | #5: Donovan McNabb | ||
| #40: Joe Morrison | #20: Brian Dawkins | ||
| #10: Eli Manning | #99: Jerome Brown | ||
| #4: Tuffy Leemans | #40: Tom Brookshier | ||
| #7: Mel Hein | #60: Chuck Bednarik | ||
| #16: Frank Gifford | |||
| #1: Ray Flaherty | |||
| #14: Ward Cuff | |||
| #42: Charlie Conerly | |||
| #32: Al Blozis |
NFC North Retired NFL Jersey Numbers
The NFC North teams have all retired a number of jerseys to honor their greatest players. The Chicago Bears have retired the joint-most jerseys of any team in the NFL, with a total of 14.
Some of the legendary numbers that will never be worn again include the likes of #34 Walter Payton, #89 Mike Ditka, and #51 Dick Butkus. The Packers have retired 6 jerseys, including those of Bart Starr and Vince Lombardi. The Lions have retired 8 jerseys, including that of Barry Sanders. Finally, the Vikings have retired six jerseys, including those of Cris Carter and John Randle.
Each of these teams has retired the jersey of at least one player who played a different position, demonstrating the importance of balance across all positions in football.
| Chicago Bears | Detroit Lions | Green Bay Packers | Minnesota Vikings |
| #66: Bulldog Turner | #37: Doak Walker | #92: Reggie White | #53: Mick Tingelhoff |
| #40: Gale Sayers | #20: Billy Sims | #15: Bart Starr | #10: Fran Tarkenton |
| #41: Brian Piccolo | #56: Joe Schmidt | #66: Ray Nitschke | #77: Korey Stringer |
| #34: Walter Payton | #20: Barry Sanders | #14: Don Hutson | #88: Alan Page |
| #3: Bronko Nagurski | #22: Bobby Layne | #4: Brett Favre | #70: Jim Marshall |
| #5: George McAfee | #85: Chuck Hughes | #3: Tony Canadeo | #80: Cris Carter |
| #42: Sid Luckman | #7: Dutch Clark | ||
| #56: Bill Hewitt | #20: Lem Barney | ||
| #7: George Halas | |||
| #77: Red Grange | |||
| #61: Bill George | |||
| #28: Willie Galimore | |||
| #89: Mike Ditka | |||
| #51: Dick Butkus |
NFC South Retired NFL Jersey Numbers
When it comes to retired NFL jerseys, the NFC South teams have the fewest retired numbers. And although the Atlanta Falcons have had some great players, they do not have any retired jersey numbers.
| Atlanta Falcons | Carolina Panthers | New Orleans Saints | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| #51: Sam Mills | #31: Jim Taylor | #63: Lee Roy Selmon | |
| #81: Doug Atkins | #99: Warren Sapp | ||
| #55: Derrick Brooks |
NFC West
In the NFC West, the jersey numbers of some great players like wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and quarterback Kurt Warner, running back Eric Dickerson, the iconic quarterback Joe Montana and wide receiver Jerry Rice, have all been retired.
| Arizona Cardinals | LA Rams | San Francisco 49ers | Seattle Seahawks |
| #8: Larry Wilson | #7: Bob Waterfield | #8: Steve Young | #80: Steve Largent* |
| #40: Pat Tillman | #78: Jackie Slater | #79: Bob St. Clair | #96: Cortez Kennedy |
| #77: Stan Mauldin | #74: Merlin Olsen | #80: Jerry Rice | #71: Walter Jones |
| #99: Marshall Goldberg* | #75: Deacon Jones | #34: Joe Perry | #12: Fans (12th man) |
| #88: J. V. Cain | #28: Marshall Faulk | #73: Leo Nomellini | #45: Kenny Easley |
| #29: Eric Dickerson | #16: Joe Montana | ||
| #80: Isaac Bruce | #39: Hugh McElhenny | ||
| #42: Ronnie Lott | |||
| #70: Charlie Krueger | |||
| #37: Jimmy Johnson | |||
| #87: Dwight Clark | |||
| #12: John Brodie* |
These players have all played vital roles in their respective teams’ histories and their jerseys will forever be a part of NFL lore.
Common FAQs about retired numbers in NFL
How many NFL numbers are retired?
Since NFL teams began retiring numbers there are currently 155 players who have had their jerseys retired.
Who has the most retired jerseys in NFL?
Out of the 32 teams in the NFL, 27 have retired at least one jersey number. The Chicago Bears and New York Giants, have retired the most numbers with 14 each.
What NFL teams have no retired numbers?
Six teams in total do not have retired jersey numbers. This includes the Las Vegas Raiders, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Dallas Cowboys even though they have all had some great players.
Other NFL teams without retired numbers are the Baltimore Ravens, the Houston Texans, and the Jacksonville Jaguars and this is mainly due to them being the newest franchises in the NFL, they are all less than 30 years old and haven’t built up the history.
