Following are the players whose jersey numbers have been retired for each of the current NFL teams. If a card is shown for a player, you can click on the image the see all of the player's cards in the Gallery. When I could find them, I chose cards for this page that show the players wearing their numbers.
The Chargers have rarely retired numbers. The San Diego Union-Tribune wrote, 'The Chargers tend to honor their heritage haphazardly.' Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive tackle Ron Mix in 1969 was the first Charger to have his number retired after he announced he was quitting football. Alworth's #19 was the second jersey number retired by the San Diego Chargers. If the guy's number is retired by the Chargers, there's no way in hell he's not winning the number here. San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers Career Receiving Leaders. Seasons: 61 (1960 to 2020) Record (W-L-T): 459-462-11 Playoff Record: 12-18. Super Bowls Won: 0 (1 Appearance) Championships Won.: 1 All-time Passing Leader: Philip Rivers 4,908/7,591, 59,271 yds, 397 TD All-time Rushing Leader: LaDainian Tomlinson 2,880 att, 12,490 yds, 138 TD.
San Diego Charger fans will celebrate the life of Junior Seau on Sunday's home opener when the team retires number 55. As the game represents the beginning of one season, it will also represent the. Retired running back Darren Sproles just sold his custom Poway mansion on four acres for $2.7 million, or $100,000 less than he paid for it in 2014.
For the list of retired numbers, I referred to a page on the NFL web site. Apparently that page is not completely correct, however. For example, it shows a few retired numbers for the Atlanta Falcons, but the Falcons web site says that the team does not officially retire jersey numbers.
The Cardinals franchise has retired five numbers, three of them posthumously. Stan Mauldin, who played for the Chicago Cardinals, died after a game against the Philadelphia Eagles in 1948. J.V. Cain died in training camp in 1979, while the team was in St. Louis. Pat Tillman left the Cardinals in 2002 to serve in the U.S. Army; he was killed in Afghanistan in 2004.
40 - Pat Tillman |
88 - J.V. Cain |
The Falcons Ring of Honor page says that the organization does not officially retire jersey numbers, but that it is currently not using the numbers below.
21 - Deion Sanders |
57 - Jeff Van Note |
60 - Tommy Nobis |
88 - Mike Kenn |
The Ravens franchise, which began in 1996, has not yet retired any numbers.
The Bills have officially retired only Jim Kelly's number, but an article on the team's web site says that the team currently also avoids issuing numbers 15 (Jack Kemp), 32 (O.J. Simpson), 34 (Thurman Thomas), 44 (Elbert Dubenion), 66 (Billy Shaw), 78 (Bruce Smith), and 83 (Andre Reed).
Carolina's first season in the NFL was 1995. The team has retired one number, 51, worn by Sam Mills.
The Bears have retired more numbers, 14, than any other NFL team. George McCaskey, the owner of the Bears, has said that Mike Ditka's number is the last one the team will retire.
5 - George McAfee |
28 - Willie Galimore |
40 - Gale Sayers |
42 - Sid Luckman |
56 - Bill Hewitt |
66 - Bulldog Turner |
89 - Mike Ditka |
Ernie Davis died of leukemia in 1962, before he had an opportunity to play for the Browns. Don Fleming died in a construction accident seventeen days after Davis.
32 - Jim Brown |
46 - Don Fleming |
The Cowboys, as a matter of policy, do not retire jersey numbers.
18 - Frank Tripucka |
Chuck Hughes died of a heart attack during a game against the Chicago Bears in 1971.
22 - Bobby Layne |
56 - Joe Schmidt |
Reggie White is the only player to have his number retired by two NFL teams. The Philadelphia Eagles have also retired his number.
14 - Don Hutson |
66 - Ray Nitschke |
The Texans have not retired any numbers.
So far, only Colts players who played in Baltimore have had their numbers retired.
22 - Buddy Young |
70 - Art Donovan |
82 - Raymond Berry |
The Jaguars have not retired any numbers.
Stone Johnson died from a neck fracture he received in a 1963 preseason game against the Oakland Raiders. Mack Lee Hill died during knee surgery after a game against the Buffalo Bills in 1965.
16 - Len Dawson |
33 - Stone Johnson |
63 - Willie Lanier |
86 - Buck Buchanan |
13 - Dan Marino |
Korey Stringer died during training camp with the Vikings in 2001.
53 - Mick Tingelhoff |
77 - Korey Stringer |
88 - Alan Page |
40 - Mike Haynes |
73 - John Hannah |
79 - Jim Hunt |
The Saints retired the jersey numbers of Jim Taylor and Doug Atkins, though combined they played only four seasons for the team.
81 - Doug Atkins |
4 - Tuffy Leemans |
11 - Phil Simms |
16 - Frank Gifford |
40 - Joe Morrison |
50 - Ken Strong |
13 - Don Maynard |
The Raiders have not retired any numbers.
Jerome Brown died from injuries in a car accident just before the 1992 season.
40 - Tom Brookshier |
60 - Chuck Bednarik |
92 - Reggie White |
The Steelers retired Ernie Stautner's number in 1964. Fifty years later, in 2014, they retired Mean Joe Greene's.
75 - Joe Greene |
28 - Marshall Faulk |
74 - Merlin Olsen |
78 - Jackie Slater |
95 - Jack Youngblood |
16 - Joe Montana |
37 - Jim Johnson |
70 - Charlie Krueger |
79 - Bob St. Clair |
80 - Steve Largent |
43 - Jim Norton |
65 - Elvin Bethea |
Following are the players whose jersey numbers have been retired for each of the current NFL teams. If a card is shown for a player, you can click on the image the see all of the player's cards in the Gallery. When I could find them, I chose cards for this page that show the players wearing their numbers.
For the list of retired numbers, I referred to a page on the NFL web site. Apparently that page is not completely correct, however. For example, it shows a few retired numbers for the Atlanta Falcons, but the Falcons web site says that the team does not officially retire jersey numbers.
The Cardinals franchise has retired five numbers, three of them posthumously. Stan Mauldin, who played for the Chicago Cardinals, died after a game against the Philadelphia Eagles in 1948. J.V. Cain died in training camp in 1979, while the team was in St. Louis. Pat Tillman left the Cardinals in 2002 to serve in the U.S. Army; he was killed in Afghanistan in 2004.
40 - Pat Tillman |
88 - J.V. Cain |
The Falcons Ring of Honor page says that the organization does not officially retire jersey numbers, but that it is currently not using the numbers below.
21 - Deion Sanders |
57 - Jeff Van Note |
60 - Tommy Nobis |
88 - Mike Kenn |
The Ravens franchise, which began in 1996, has not yet retired any numbers.
The Bills have officially retired only Jim Kelly's number, but an article on the team's web site says that the team currently also avoids issuing numbers 15 (Jack Kemp), 32 (O.J. Simpson), 34 (Thurman Thomas), 44 (Elbert Dubenion), 66 (Billy Shaw), 78 (Bruce Smith), and 83 (Andre Reed).
Carolina's first season in the NFL was 1995. The team has retired one number, 51, worn by Sam Mills.
The Bears have retired more numbers, 14, than any other NFL team. George McCaskey, the owner of the Bears, has said that Mike Ditka's number is the last one the team will retire.
5 - George McAfee |
28 - Willie Galimore |
40 - Gale Sayers |
42 - Sid Luckman |
56 - Bill Hewitt |
66 - Bulldog Turner |
89 - Mike Ditka |
Ernie Davis died of leukemia in 1962, before he had an opportunity to play for the Browns. Don Fleming died in a construction accident seventeen days after Davis.
32 - Jim Brown |
46 - Don Fleming |
The Cowboys, as a matter of policy, do not retire jersey numbers.
18 - Frank Tripucka |
Chuck Hughes died of a heart attack during a game against the Chicago Bears in 1971.
22 - Bobby Layne |
56 - Joe Schmidt |
Reggie White is the only player to have his number retired by two NFL teams. The Philadelphia Eagles have also retired his number.
14 - Don Hutson |
66 - Ray Nitschke |
The Texans have not retired any numbers.
So far, only Colts players who played in Baltimore have had their numbers retired.
22 - Buddy Young |
70 - Art Donovan |
82 - Raymond Berry |
The Jaguars have not retired any numbers.
Stone Johnson died from a neck fracture he received in a 1963 preseason game against the Oakland Raiders. Mack Lee Hill died during knee surgery after a game against the Buffalo Bills in 1965.
16 - Len Dawson |
33 - Stone Johnson |
63 - Willie Lanier |
86 - Buck Buchanan |
13 - Dan Marino |
Korey Stringer died during training camp with the Vikings in 2001.
53 - Mick Tingelhoff |
77 - Korey Stringer |
88 - Alan Page |
40 - Mike Haynes |
73 - John Hannah |
79 - Jim Hunt |
The Saints retired the jersey numbers of Jim Taylor and Doug Atkins, though combined they played only four seasons for the team.
81 - Doug Atkins |
4 - Tuffy Leemans |
11 - Phil Simms |
16 - Frank Gifford |
40 - Joe Morrison |
50 - Ken Strong |
13 - Don Maynard |
The Raiders have not retired any numbers.
Jerome Brown died from injuries in a car accident just before the 1992 season.
40 - Tom Brookshier |
60 - Chuck Bednarik |
92 - Reggie White |
The Steelers retired Ernie Stautner's number in 1964. Fifty years later, in 2014, they retired Mean Joe Greene's.
75 - Joe Greene |
28 - Marshall Faulk |
74 - Merlin Olsen |
78 - Jackie Slater |
95 - Jack Youngblood |
16 - Joe Montana |
37 - Jim Johnson |
70 - Charlie Krueger |
79 - Bob St. Clair |
80 - Steve Largent |
43 - Jim Norton |
65 - Elvin Bethea |