Retired Numbers for Each NFL Team
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.
Arizona Cardinals
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.
Atlanta Falcons
According to the Falcons Ring of Honor page, the Falcons organization does not officially retire jersey numbers.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens franchise, which began in 1996, has not yet retired any numbers.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills have officially retired the numbers of three players: Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, and Bruce Smith. In addition, Wikipedia says the jersey numbers of O.J. Simpson (32), Elbert Dubenion (44), and Billy Shaw (66) are in "reduced circulation."
12 - Jim Kelly |
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34 - Thurman Thomas |
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78 - Bruce Smith |
Carolina Panthers
Carolina's first season in the NFL was 1995. The team has retired one number, 51, worn by Sam Mills.
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51 - Sam Mills |
Chicago Bears
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.
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
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.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys, as a matter of policy, do not retire jersey numbers.
Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions
The Lions retired number 20 after three of the team's stars had worn it: Lem Barney, Billy Sims, and Barry Sanders. They retired Chuck Hughes's number after he died of a heart attack during a game against the Chicago Bears in 1971.
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20 (2) - Billy Sims |
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20 (3) - Barry Sanders |
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85 - Chuck Hughes |
Green Bay Packers
Reggie White is the only player to have his number retired by two NFL teams. The Philadelphia Eagles have also retired his number.
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4 - Brett Favre |
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92 - Reggie White |
Houston Texans
The Texans have not retired any numbers.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have retired eight numbers, seven of them worn by players who were with the team in Baltimore. Peyton Manning is the only player to have played in Indianapolis.
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18 - Peyton Manning |
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars, still relatively new to the NFL, have retired one number, Tony Boselli's 71.
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71 - Tony Boselli |
Kansas City Chiefs
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.
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33 - Stone Johnson |
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36 - Mack Lee Hill |
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58 - Derrick Thomas |
Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Rams
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28 - Marshall Faulk |
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29 - Eric Dickerson |
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78 - Jackie Slater |
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80 - Isaac Bruce |
Miami Dolphins
Minnesota Vikings
Korey Stringer died during training camp with the Vikings in 2001.
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77 - Korey Stringer |
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80 - Cris Carter |
New England Patriots
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78 - Bruce Armstrong |
New Orleans Saints
The Saints retired the jersey numbers of Jim Taylor and Doug Atkins, though combined they played only four seasons for the team.
New York Giants
After Ward Cuff retired, owner Wellington Mara said no Giants player would again wear number 14. When the team traded for star quarterback Y.A. Tittle in 1961, however, Tittle requested number 14 and was allowed to wear it. The number is now retired in honor of both Cuff and Tittle.
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10 - Eli Manning |
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14 (1) - Ward Cuff |
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32 - Al Blozis |
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56 - Lawrence Taylor |
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92 - Michael Strahan |
New York Jets
Oakland Raiders
The Raiders have not retired any numbers.
Philadelphia Eagles
Jerome Brown died from injuries in a car accident just before the 1992 season.
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5 - Donovan McNabb |
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20 - Brian Dawkins |
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92 - Reggie White |
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99 - Jerome Brown |
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers retired Ernie Stautner's number in 1964. Fifty years later, in 2014, they retired Mean Joe Greene's. On December 24, 2022, fifty years and a day after Franco Harris's "Immaculate Reception," they retired his number, 32. Sadly, Harris had passed away just three days earlier.
San Francisco 49ers
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8 - Steve Young |
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16 - Joe Montana |
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42 - Ronnie Lott |
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80 - Jerry Rice |
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87 - Dwight Clark |
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans
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1 - Warren Moon |
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9 - Steve McNair |
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27 - Eddie George |
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63 - Mike Munchak |
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74 - Bruce Matthews |
Washington Commanders
Sean Taylor was murdered by burglars in his home in November, 2007, during his fourth season with the team.
