Uniform number ( American football ) The uniform number s in American football are unusual compared to those in any other sport . They are displayed in more locations on the uniform than in those of other sports ( on both the front and back of the jersey , on both shoulders , and often on the helmet ) , and they are very large , taking up almost the entire front of the jersey . More importantly , certain numbers may only be worn by players playing particular positions ; thus the jersey numbers assist the officials in determining possible rules infractions by players . Unlike most other sports , in which teams have smaller rosters , American football players routinely have uniform numbers that cover the full range of numbers from 1 to 99 . In other sports , where not as many numbers are needed , lower numbers are more traditional and are usually desired by players . But in American football , with the number of players on a roster sometimes exceeding 100 , there is a need for many more numbers . Most football leagues have a system in place that requires or otherwise encourages players in certain positions to be issued numbers within a certain range . NFL . A system of assignment of jersey numbers was initiated in American football ' s NFL in 1952 ; it was updated and made more rigid in 1973 . Numbers are always worn on the front and back of a player ' s jersey , and so - called " TV numbers " are worn on the sleeve or shoulder . The Cincinnati Bengals were the last NFL team to wear jerseys without " TV numbers " on a regular basis in 1980 , though since then several NFL teams have worn throwback uniforms from a time without " TV numbers " , since as of 2008 they are not mandated by NFL rules . ( The same can not be said for players ' last names on the backs of jerseys , which are required to be on all uniforms , even throwbacks that predated the last name rule . ) For instance , in the 2007 NFL season , the Cleveland Browns , Detroit Lions , Philadelphia Eagles , and Pittsburgh Steelers wore throwbacks without " TV numbers " . Many uniforms also feature numbers either on the front , back , or sides of the helmet ( in pro football , these were most famously worn on the San Diego Chargers " powder - blue " uniforms ) . Since the numbering system was implemented in 1973 , only two major changes have been made . In 1984 , the NFL allowed defensive lineman and linebackers to wear jersey numbers in the 90 – 99 range , since more teams were making use of the 3 – 4 defense and thus were quickly exhausting numbers for linebackers , who previously were only allowed to wear numbers in the 50 – 59 range . ( Before this change , the NFL had outlawed the 90 – 99 range for regular season use since it was rarely issued before 1973 , but did permit it for the preseason ; Lawrence Taylor wore his college number 98 his rookie training camp with the Giants in 1981 before switching to his more familiar 56 before the start of the season . ) The other change occurred in 2004 , when the NFL allowed wide receivers to wear numbers 10 – 19 in addition to the 80 – 89 range ; this was due to several NFL teams retiring 80 - range numbers as well as teams employing more receivers and tight ends in their offense . Below is the numbering system established by the NFL and in place since 1973 : Numbers 0 and 00 are no longer used , though they were issued in the NFL before the number standardization in 1973 . George Plimpton famously wore 0 during a brief preseason stint at quarterback for the Detroit Lions . Jim Otto wore number " 00 " ( " aught - oh " ) during most of his career with the Oakland Raiders . Wide receiver Ken Burrough of the Houston Oilers also wore " 00 " during his NFL career in the 1970s . More recently , linebacker Bryan Cox wore # 0 in the 2001 preseason with New England ; for the regular season , he switched to # 51 . When the more rigid system went into effect in 1973 , players who played in the league before then were given a grandfather clause to continue wearing newly prohibited numbers ( i . e . many wide receiver s wore jersey numbers in the teens and 20s before the rule changes required receivers to wear numbers in the 80s , and many defensive linemen and linebackers wore numbers in the 80s ) . New England Patriots defensive end Julius Adams was the last player to be covered by the clause , wearing number 85 through the 1985 season , but he had to wear number 69 when he briefly came out of retirement in 1987 during the 1987 strike . This was in stark contrast to when the league required linemen to wear jersey numbers in the 50 – 79 range in 1952 ( for " ineligible receiver " purposes ) , since Cleveland Browns quarterback Otto Graham wore number 60 prior to this change . Graham switched to number 14 , which was retired by the Browns while his more familiar number 60 remains in circulation today , most recently worn by guard Ryan Miller in 2012 . It should be noted that this NFL numbering system is based on a player ' s " primary " position . Also , if a player changes primary positions during his career , he does not usually have to change his number unless he changes from an eligible receiver to ineligible or vice versa ( Jason Peters is a notable example , having moved between tight end , where he wore number 86 , to offensive tackle , where he currently wears 71 ) . Any player wearing any number may play at any position on the field at any time ( though players wearing numbers 50 – 79 must let the referee know that they are playing out of position by reporting as an " ineligible number in an eligible position " ) . It is not uncommon for running backs to line up at wide receiver on certain plays , or to have a large lineman play at fullback or tight end in short yardage situations , or to have wide receivers fill in as extra defensive backs . Also , in preseason games , when teams have expanded rosters , players may wear numbers that are outside of the above rules . When the final 53 - player roster is established , they are reissued numbers within the above guidelines . The earliest numbering systems were significantly different from the modern variation . Until the 1920s , it was rare to see player numbers much higher than 25 , and numbers had little correlation with positions ( in 1929 , the Orange Tornadoes subverted the system even further , experimenting with using letters instead of numbers . ) The numbering system used today originated in football ' s past when all teams employed some variation of the single wing formation on offense . When teams switched to the T - formation in the 1930s and 1940s , the numbers were taken with them to whatever position evolved from the old single wing position . This numbering system originated in college football and was used only informally in the NFL until 1952 ; under the original somewhat informal system , the backs were numbered 1 – 4 and the line 5 – 8 . Tailbacks , left halfbacks or flankers ( 1 - back ) were given 10s , blocking backs or quarterbacks ( 2 - backs ) were given numbers in the 20s , fullbacks ( or 3 - backs ) were given numbers in the 30s , and right halfbacks , what would become simply the halfback or running back ( 4 - backs ) in the 40s , centers in the 50s , guards in the 60s , tackles in the 70s , and ends in the 80s . Earlier , defensive players wore numbers that reflected their offensive position , as many players played both offense and defense . For example , quarterbacks and halfbacks usually played in the defensive back field and so had numbers in the 10s , 20s , and 40s . Fullbacks were linebackers and had numbers in the 30s ; centers and guards were linebackers as well and has numbers in the 50s and 60s respectively . Guards and tackles played the defensive guard and tackle positions and had numbers in the 60s and 70s respectively . Ends had numbers in the 80s . Split ends ( e . g . Emlen Tunnell ) would be cornerbacks and tight ends ( e . g . Fred Dryer , Buck Buchanan ) would be defensive ends but all would have numbers in the 80s . The original numbering system was based on the single wing offense and went as follows . Tailback or left halfback ( e . g . Frank Gifford ) had a number in the 10s . The blocking back , which evolved into the quarterback in the T formation , had a number in the 20s ( e . g . Bobby Layne and John Hadl , and Doug Flutie during his college career ) . The fullback had a number in the 30s and the right halfback had a number in the 40s . One the line the center was in the 50s , the guards were in the 60s , the tackles were in the 70s , and the ends were in the 80s . The CFL had a very different numbering system with the ends in the 70s , making wide receivers up until recent times having 70s numbers ( CFL Receivers may still wear numbers in the 70s , but as most receivers are from the U . S . , they will usually wear 80s if they choose to wear a higher number ; CFL receivers may also wear numbers from 1 – 19 ) . The AAFC had a different numbering system with quarterback in the 60s ( Otto Graham ) , fullbacks in the 70s ( Marion Motley ) , halfbacks in the 80s , ends in the 50s ( Mac Speedie ) , tackles in the 40s ( Lou Groza ) , guards in the 30s , and centers in the 20s . When the AAFC merged with the NFL in 1950 , the AAFC players kept their old uniform numbers which caused confusion and resulted in the NFL going to a standard numbering system in 1952 . This resulted in many star players having to change their numbers in mid - career . Examples are Otto Graham going from 60 to 14 , Norm Van Brocklin going from 25 to 11 , and Tom Fears going from 55 to 80 . Players have often asked ( or , in some cases , challenged ) the NFL for an exception to the numbering system rule . In 2006 , New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush requested to keep the number 5 he wore in college . His request was declined , and he was assigned number 25 by the team . Former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Brian Bosworth wore number 44 in college for the University of Oklahoma and wore that number during the 1987 preseason with the Seahawks . He took the NFL to court for the right to wear # 44 , but he lost and had to switch to # 55 . Exceptions . Many exceptions to the rules have been granted . The most notable case may be former wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson , who was allowed to wear number 19 despite available numbers in the 80s ( though he had to pay " fines " for the privilege ) . This , combined with the fact that more NFL teams were retiring 80s numbers , led to the league to allow wide receivers to wear numbers 10 – 19 in addition to 80s numbers in 2004 . Former New York Giants linebacker Brad Van Pelt was allowed to wear number 10 with the team despite not being covered in the grandfather clause , as the team drafted him in 1973 , the year the newer jersey number system went into effect . This was because Van Pelt served as the team ' s backup kicker his rookie season . Van Pelt did wear number 91 at the end of his career for the Los Angeles Raiders and Cleveland Browns . Another Giants player , defensive linemen Phil Tabor , also skirted the numbering requirements by wearing number 80 during his four - year stint ( 1979 – 82 ) with the club . While with the New England Patriots , former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Mike Vrabel wore number 50 despite also playing tight end in goal line offensive packages . Another former wide receiver , Dwight Stone , was allowed to wear number 20 when he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers , with whom he spent the majority of his career . Stone did wear 80s numbers after he left the Steelers . Another former Steeler , tight end Matt Cushing , wore number 48 , but he was listed as a " tight end / fullback " , since he was also the team ' s backup fullback . Current Steeler , David Johnson wears number 85 as a fullback because he is listed as a tight end . A number of current players wear numbers outside the range for their primary position . Chicago Bears wide receiver / return specialist Devin Hester wears number 23 , which represented the position the team originally drafted him for , cornerback . Hester was allowed to keep 23 after the team converted him to wide receiver . Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Aaron Kampman wears number 74 , which represented the position for which he was drafted , defensive end ( or defensive tackle ) . Kampman moved to linebacker since his former team , the Green Bay Packers switched from 4 – 3 defense to a 3 – 4 defense under the new defensive coordinator before the 2009 season ( see Packers switch from 4 – 3 to 3 – 4 defense ) . Kampan ' s predicament was similar to that of A . J . Duhe of the Miami Dolphins , who wore number 77 when he entered the league in 1977 as a defensive end . Duhe did not change numbers when he moved to inside linebacker in 1979 when Dolphins defensive coordinator Bill Arnsparger made the permanent switch to the 3 – 4 ( the Dolphins used the 3 – 4 as its " 53 " package from 1971 – 78 ) . Former defensive end Chris Doleman was permitted to keep his number 56 after being moved from linebacker to defensive end , while former linebacker Simon Fletcher made the opposite move , defensive end to linebacker , and was permitted to keep his number 73 . Fletcher ' s teammate with the Denver Broncos , Karl Mecklenburg , wore number 77 despite playing inside linebacker throughout his career . Former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Mike Furrey , wearing number 87 , and San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Randy Moss , wearing number 84 , played safety and / or cornerback in some defensive packages . Baltimore Ravens tight end Edgar Jones wears number 84 , but sometimes plays defensive end or outside linebacker , his original position when he signed with Baltimore in 2007 . NCAA . According to NCAA rule book , Rule 1 Section 4 Article 1 recommends numbering as follows for offensive players ; Otherwise all player must be numbered 1 – 99 , the NCAA makes no stipulation on defensive players . Two players may also share the same number though they may not play during the same down . The lowest numbers are often considered the most prestigious , and they are frequently worn not just by specialists and quarterbacks but also by running backs , defensive backs , and linebackers . Kickers and punters are frequently numbered in the 40s or 90s , which are the least in - demand numbers on a college roster . The increased flexibility in numbering of NCAA rosters is needed since NCAA rules allow larger rosters than the NFL ; thus teams would frequently exhaust the available numbers for a position under the NFL rules . It is not uncommon for NCAA teams to have duplicate numbers , with an offensive player having the same number as a defensive one — this is allowed as long as both players are not on the field at the same time . Usually , one of the players will be a reserve who rarely plays , but this is not always the case : for example , the 2005 Texas Longhorns team had two key players who both wore # 4 : wide receiver Limas Sweed and linebacker Drew Kelson . The 2007 USC Trojans team had two key players who both wore # 10 : quarterback John David Booty and linebacker Brian Cushing . The 2008 Missouri Tigers both had key players wearing # 1 : safety William Moore and running back Jimmy Jackson . In the same season , the Alabama Crimson Tide had four numbers shared by two players each . In the 2009 season , the Ohio State Buckeyes roster also had numerous duplicate numbers : quarterback Terrelle Pryor and cornerback Malcolm Jenkins both wore # 2 , and running back Daniel Herron and linebacker Marcus Freeman both wore # 1 , while USC had both running back C . J . Gable and safety Taylor Mays wearing # 2 . At Texas , both safety Earl Thomas and quarterback Colt McCoy both wore # 12 . In 2010 at the University of Illinois , both quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase and linebacker Martez Wilson wore # 2 . In 2012 , Notre Dame starting linebacker and team captain Manti Te ' o and starting quarterback Everett Golson both wore # 5 . Perhaps the most interesting use of duplicate numbers was at South Carolina . Both cornerback Stephon Gilmore and quarterback Stephen Garcia wore # 5 . However , Gilmore also has played quarterback for the Gamecocks , usually in the " Wild Cock " formation . In 2009 against archrival Clemson , Head Coach Steve Spurrier effectively rotated Garcia and Gilmore at the quarterback position , confusing the Clemson defense ( and many fans ) . Because Garcia and Gilmore were never on the field at the same time , it was perfectly legal . Individual schools often have superstitions or traditions involving certain numbers . It may be a great honor to be given the number 1 uniform , for example , such as at the University of Michigan . The top performing walk - on at Texas A & M University will often be issued number 12 , in reference to their 12th Man tradition . Syracuse University historically reserved number 44 for its best running backs , including Jim Brown , Ernie Davis , and Floyd Little , finally retiring the number permanently in 2005 . The number 12 is also prestigious at the University of Alabama . It is usually reserved for top quarterbacks , although it was worn by 1930s lineman Bear Bryant , who became a coaching legend at Alabama . Since Bryant ' s era , it has been worn by Kenny Stabler , Joe Namath , Brodie Croyle , and Greg McElroy . At Ole Miss , the # 38 worn by defensive back Chucky Mullins , who suffered a paralyzing injury in a 1989 game that ultimately led to his death in 1991 , was given each season as an award to a defensive player who was seen as epitomizing Mullins ' spirit . The number was eventually retired in Mullins ' memory in 2006 . High school . On high school and other lower youth teams , jerseys with different number ranges are different sizes , and since many of these teams do not reorder jerseys every year , players are often assigned numbers based more on jerseys that fit them rather than specific position ( though the rules on numbering the offensive line still apply ) . According to NCAA rule book , Rule 1 Section 4 Article 1 recommended numbering is as follows : Retired numbers . Most NFL teams have retired some numbers in honor of the team ' s best players . Generally when a number is retired , future players for the team may not wear it . However , exceptions have been made when a player with a retired number allows an active player to wear his number . However , very rarely does the new player accept the offer . When the Kansas City Chiefs acquired Joe Montana in 1993 , Hall of Famer Len Dawson gave Montana permission to wear his old # 16 , Montana ' s number in San Francisco , but Montana declined it and wore 19 instead , which was the sum of his numbers at Notre Dame ( 3 ) and the 49ers ( 16 ) . One exception offer that was accepted was made in 2004 , when Steve Largent , whose # 80 was retired by the Seattle Seahawks , allowed Jerry Rice to wear # 80 when he briefly played for the team . Rice , a star who mostly played with the 49ers and Raiders , had also worn # 80 throughout his career . Rice made the same gesture when the 49ers signed longtime St . Louis Rams wide receiver Isaac Bruce in 2008 . Rice offered Bruce the number , since Bruce had worn 80 during his 14 - year stay with the Rams . ( Though the number was not officially retired until 2010 , the 49ers had not issued # 80 since Rice left the team in 2001 . ) However , both Bruce and the 49ers agreed on not wearing 80 as a 49er , and wore number 88 during his two - year stint with the 49ers before retiring . Another accepted offer was made in 2012 , when Peyton Manning , whose # 18 had been retired by the Denver Broncos was given to Manning , only after Frank Tripucka offered the jersey to the four - time MVP . Manning had worn # 18 with the Indianapolis Colts for 13 seasons , and his number was retired by the Colts after he was released . The 49ers made another exception for quarterback Trent Dilfer to wear number 12 , which had been retired in honor of John Brodie . Dilfer , a close friend of Brodie , wore the number in tribute to him and to garner attention for Brodie ' s potential election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame . Similarly , Detroit Lions linebacker Joe Schmidt allowed Pat Swilling to wear his retired number 56 when Swilling was acquired in 1993 . The Chicago Bears have retired the most numbers ( 13 ) , followed by the New York Giants ( 11 ) . Some newer teams have yet to retire any . The New Orleans Saints have retired the numbers 31 and 81 in honor of Jim Taylor and Doug Atkins , who played on the first Saints franchise in 1967 . Strangely enough , neither Taylor nor Atkins has had their uniform numbers retired by the teams for which they played the vast majority of their careers before coming to the expansion Saints , Taylor with the Green Bay Packers and Atkins with the Bears . ( Current All - Pro cornerback Al Harris , in fact , recently wore number 31 for the Packers . ) Taylor played only one year with the Saints before retiring , while Atkins ' last three seasons were in the Big Easy . The numbers 7 , 12 , 40 , and 70 have each been retired by five teams , more than any other numbers . One of the most notable retired numbers is number 12 for the Seattle Seahawks , who retired the number in 1984 in honor of the " 12th man " , or the Seahawks fans , as opposed to a particular player . Since then , the team sells number 12 jerseys with the word " Fan " where the player ' s last name would be . The Indianapolis Colts have chosen to retain the retired status of numbers retired when the club was in Baltimore , a point which irritated former Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas . Incensed at the way former owner Robert Irsay moved the Colts out of town late at night on March 29 , 1984 , Unitas severed all ties to the Colts franchise and insisted he only be listed as a member of the " Baltimore Colts " . Unitas was soon joined by teammates Lenny Moore , Art Donovan , Raymond Berry , and Gino Marchetti , all of whom also had their numbers retired by the club in Baltimore . ( Many of these players would later support the Baltimore Ravens . ) The Colts recently retired number 18 for quarterback Peyton Manning although he continues to play in the NFL for the Denver Broncos , the club however has not retired any further numbers of former Baltimore Colts . The Dallas Cowboys have not retired any numbers despite a long list of HOFs . Instead , the Cowboys do not issue the number , as is the case with number 12 for Roger Staubach and number 8 for Troy Aikman , or the number is used as a sign of legacy . The number 22 was used by HOFs Bob Hayes and Emmitt Smith . The number 88 is used as a lineage for the top WR brought in by the team . It was first made famous by Drew Pearson in the 70s , before Michael Irvin used it in the 90s . The number now belongs to Dez Bryant . Non - retirement policies . While the NFL does allow teams to retire jersey numbers , the league officially discourages retiring numbers , for fear of teams running out of numbers . As a result , a few NFL teams do not retire jersey numbers . Buffalo . For many years , the Buffalo Bills never officially retired uniform numbers . This changed when Jim Kelly ' s number 12 was officially retired by the Bills in the early 2000s ( although Joe Ferguson also prominently wore the number , and the team also honors the 12th man ) . O . J . Simpson ( 32 ) , Bruce Smith ( 78 ) , Cookie Gilchrist and Thurman Thomas ( both 34 ) and have not had their numbers issued since those players ' retirements . Jack Kemp ( 15 ) , Elbert Dubenion ( 44 ) , Billy Shaw ( 66 ) , and Andre Reed ( 83 ) have seen their numbers used only in limited situations ; wide receiver Lee Evans ( full name Lee Evans III ) sought explicit permission to use the 83 number , as it was the only way to preserve the number 3 somewhere in his jersey number ( the league had not opened up the 10 – 19 numbers at the time of his debut ) . Like Dallas , Buffalo has a " Wall of Fame " honoring some of their great players . One number that was unofficially retired for most of the team ' s history was 31 , which was reserved as a generic number for promotions and to represent the " spirit of the franchise " . This policy was reversed in 1990 when the number was awarded to James " J . D . " Williams ; it has since been re - released to all players ( in part due to the withdrawal of 32 ) and is currently worn by free safety Jairus Byrd , who moved from his college number of 32 to his current 31 . Number 1 has only been issued sparingly in the team ' s history ( kicker Mike Hollis was the last to wear it ) , possibly out of deference to Tommy Hughitt , who wore the number with the early - era Buffalo teams in the 1920s . The team does not officially acknowledge any special deference to the number , but acknowledges that other numbers besides the ones mentioned above may be set aside . Cincinnati . Only three players have worn the # 14 jersey for the Bengals are , in order , Sam Wyche ( QB ) , Ken Anderson ( QB ) , and Andy Dalton ( QB ) . Wyche played from 1968 to 1970 and later coached the team to its second Super Bowl in 1988 . Ken Anderson , for whom the number is known by Bengals fans , wore the number from 1973 until 1986 . No player had worn it until Andy Dalton took the number upon being drafted in 2011 , Ken Anderson gave his support to Dalton being issued with the number . The only number to be retired by the Bengals is the number 54 worn by Bob Johnson , their first ever draft pick . Dallas . Like Oakland , Dallas ' official policy is to not retire uniform numbers , although there are a few numbers that have been unofficially retired and have not been used since the retirement of prominent players wearing them . Emmitt Smith and former Olympic athlete Bob Hayes wore number 22 with the Cowboys , but the number has not been reissued since Smith left for Arizona in 2004 . Perhaps most notably , Drew Pearson and Michael Irvin both wore number 88 with the Cowboys , and it is currently worn by Dez Bryant . The Cowboys will be treating number 88 similar to that of number 12 with the Alabama Crimson Tide and , until 2005 , number 44 for the Syracuse Orange ( who have since retired number 44 ) by reserving number 88 for only the best receivers . Instead of retiring numbers , the Cowboys induct prominent players into a Ring of Honor , which originally ringed Texas Stadium and was transferred to the new Cowboys Stadium at its opening in 2009 . Since their induction into the Ring of Honor , numbers 8 ( Troy Aikman ) , 12 ( Roger Staubach ) , 20 ( Mel Renfro ) , 22 ( Hayes and Smith ) , 43 ( Cliff Harris ) , 54 ( Chuck Howley and Randy White ) , 55 ( Lee Roy Jordan ) , 70 ( Rayfield Wright ) , 72 ( Too Tall Jones ) , and 74 ( Bob Lilly ) have not been reissued or are rarely used . Green Bay . Although the Packers have retired the numbers 3 ( Tony Canadeo ) , 14 ( Don Hutson ) , 15 ( Bart Starr ) , 66 ( Ray Nitschke ) , and 92 ( Reggie White ) , they are reluctant to officially retire number due to the high number of Hall of Famers who ' ve played for the team . Even White ' s number 92 was simply taken out of circulation after his retirement and wasn ' t officially retired until after his death in 2004 . Other Green Bay players whose numbers are " unofficially " retired and kept out of circulation include Brett Favre ' s number 4 ( which was originally slated to be retired on opening day of 2008 ) , Paul Hornung ' s number 5 ( issued only once , for one year , since his retirement ) , and team founder Curly Lambeau , who ' s number 1 has not been re - issued since he last wore it in 1925 and 1926 ( the first two years the team wore jersey numbers ) . Because of the Packers reluctance to retire numbers , a few numbers have been worn by more than one all - time Packer great and would likely have to be retired for multiple men . Number 30 , for example , was worn by Clarke Hinkle and Ahman Green , both of whom retired as the Packers all - time leading rusher . Similarly , number 80 has been worn by James Lofton and Donald Driver , who both left Green Bay as the Packers all - time leading receiver . Oakland . The Oakland Raiders , along with the Houston Texans , are the only teams in the NFL that have not retired any numbers , officially or unofficially . Only Hall of Fame center Jim Otto ' s number , 00 , has not been reissued by the Raiders , as the NFL banned the numbers 0 and 00 in 1973 . As a result , the numbers worn by Hall of Fame inductees have been used by other players who followed , including Willie Brown ' s number 24 ( currently worn by Michael Huff ) , George Blanda and Jim Plunkett ' s number 16 ( worn by Andrew Walter ) , Kenny Stabler ' s number 12 ( worn by Rich Gannon , Josh McCown , and Jacoby Ford ) , and Gene Upshaw ' s number 63 ( worn by Mark Wilson ) . Pittsburgh . The Pittsburgh Steelers also do not officially retire uniform numbers ( the exception being Ernie Stautner , who played before the dynasty years of the 1970s ) . However , Terry Bradshaw ' s number 12 , Franco Harris ' number 32 , Jerome Bettis ' number 36 , Mike Webster ' s number 52 , Jack Lambert ' s number 58 , Dermontti Dawson ' s number 63 , and Joe Greene ' s number 75 have not been issued since those respective players retired , while Gary Anderson ' s number 1 , Donnie Shell ' s number 31 , Mel Blount ' s number 47 , and Jack Ham ' s number 59 have had minimal usage since . Number 35 was worn by two Hall of Famers ( Bill Dudley and John Henry Johnson ) and was most recently worn by former fullback Dan Kreider in 2007 . John Stallworth ' s number 82 has been reissued several times as has Lynn Swann ' s number 88 ; this is mainly because of the limited number of numbers available for wide receivers and tight ends ( until 2004 , those positions could only wear numbers in the 80s ) . However , the NFL has since relaxed the rule and started allowing receivers to wear jersey numbers 10 – 19 in addition to 80s numbers . Number 82 is currently worn by tight end Weslye Saunders , while Emmanuel Sanders currently wears number 88 . Washington . The Washington Redskins have only retired one number , Sammy Baugh ' s number 33 . Numbers 7 ( Joe Theismann ) , 9 ( Sonny Jurgensen ) , 28 ( Darrell Green ) , 42 ( Charley Taylor ) , 43 ( Larry Brown ) , 44 ( John Riggins ) , 49 ( Bobby Mitchell ) , 51 ( Monte Coleman ) , 65 ( Dave Butz ) , 70 ( Sam Huff ) , and 81 ( Art Monk ) are considered unofficially retired . It is generally assumed that 21 ( Sean Taylor ) is also considered unofficially retired , which is supported by the fact that Oshiomogho Atogwe switched to 20 when joining Washington despite always wearing 21 with the St . Louis Rams previously .