When a player serves a franchise with loyalty and contributes significantly to its growth, teams often repay that dedication in several ways. During his career, he might receive a better contract, and once he retires, the honors can include induction into the team’s Hall of Fame or Ring of Honor, a statue outside the stadium, or the retirement of his jersey number. Of these, teams commonly induct players into the Hall of Fame or Ring of Honor, but they reserve statues and jersey retirements for only the most iconic players.
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The retirement of a jersey number is one of the rarest and most unique honors in sports. Across the NFL, teams have retired only 163 numbers since the tradition began. The Colts retired Peyton Manning’s No. 18, the Patriots retired Tom Brady’s No. 12, and Reggie White remains the only player in NFL history to have his number retired by two franchises, the Eagles and the Packers, who both retired his No. 92.
But not everyone agrees with the practice. Former Cowboys receiver and three-time Super Bowl champion “Michael Irvin” has been outspoken against retiring jersey numbers. The Cowboys are one of the few franchises that traditionally do not retire numbers, and even if they did, Irvin says he wouldn’t want his retired.
“The Playmaker” argues that retiring a jersey limits the honor. In his words, they’d hang the jersey in a glass case, give him a minute of silence when he dies, and then move on. But if another player wears his number on the field every week, Irvin believes his legacy would live on.
When the player wearing his number makes a mistake, fans will say, Irvin wouldn’t have made that mistake and when he makes a big play or hauls in a tough catch, they’ll say, That’s just like Irvin.
To him, seeing the number worn and remembered on game days ensures that his impact becomes eternal, recognized not just once, but every time the Cowboys take the field.
” Why would I want my number retired? When you retire the number, they put it in the rafter, and as soon as you live time and go to eternity, say who. Lost Michael today, back to the game. That’s it. That’s the only time you get your flowers. With CeeDee Lamb wearing number 88, every Sunday, he steps on the football field, when he misses the ball, they say, Mike Irvin wouldn’t have dropped that. If he catches the ball, they say look like Mike Irvin. So matter what, I get my flowers every Sunday.”
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The tradition of retiring jersey numbers exists in college football as well, with Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter being the most recent players to receive the honor. It makes sense in the pros, where a player might spend over a decade with one franchise. But why would a college program retire a number for someone who only spent two or three seasons there?
Colleges should reserve this honor for truly exceptional players, those who win a Heisman Trophy or play a pivotal role in capturing a National Championship. Still, Michael Irvin raises an interesting perspective: seeing another player wear the same number and excel can extend that legacy, allowing pride in the jersey to live on.
