Aaron Rodgers Will Probably Wear This Number With Pittsburgh Steelers
Now that Aaron Rodgers is officially a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, it's time for him to wheel and deal in order to secure his desired jersey number.
He settled on No. 12 upon entering the league as a first-round pick with the Green Bay Packers in 2005. Rodgers never abandoned the number either, rocking it for his entire 18-year stint with the team through the 2022 campaign.
Over that stretch, he won Super Bowl XLV over the Pittsburgh Steelers while also becoming a four-time MVP and 10-time Pro Bowler. In total, Rodgers threw for 59,055 yards, 475 touchdowns and 105 interceptions.
Shortly after Rodgers was traded to the New York Jets in 2023, Packers president Mark Murphy stated that the organization would retire his number "at the appropriate time", and for good reason.
The 41-year-old did not stick with No. 12 in the Big Apple, however, as the Jets put it out of commission in honor of Joe Namath all the way back in 1985.
Rodgers landed on No. 8 as a result, which he wore throughout his collegiate career with the California Golden Bears.
Unless something drastic happens, it appears likely that he'll stick with it as a member of the Steelers too. Though No. 12 is not officially retired, no player has worn it for the team since Terry Bradshaw, a four-time Super Bowl champion and Pro Football Hall of Famer, hung up his cleats following the 1983 campaign.
No. 8, though, doesn't have nearly as storied of a history for the Steelers. Quarterback Tommy Maddox is perhaps the most notable player to don it for the team, doing so from 2001 to 2005, while fellow signal caller Kenny Pickett used it in 2022 and 2023 before being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. Punter Corliss Waitman has held claim to it since re-joining Pittsburgh last September following a season-ending injury to Cameron Johnston.
Rodgers could try and persuade Waitman to hand over the No. 8 jersey, an act for which he may be compensated in some form, though he may also hold his ground and opt to hold onto the number, which other players in similar situations have done in the past.
Johnston is likely the favorite to win Pittsburgh's punting job over Waitman this summer, which could potentially factor into the ordeal at some point, but we'll just have to wait and see how everything plays out.
