Why Did Aaron Rodgers Change His Number? A Touching Reason Why The New York Jets Quarterback Changed His Number

Aaron Rodgers is fit and eager to play for the New York Jets ahead of the new NFL season, but he won’t be wearing his famous number 12.

The 40-year-old quarterback made the No. 12 jersey his own during his 17 years playing for the Green Bay Packers.

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However, after finalizing his trade to the New York Jets in 2023, the club announced that Rodgers would not wear No. 12.

Instead, he took the number 8 jersey.

Why did Aaron Rodgers change his number 12?

When Rodgers signed with the Jets, he announced he would not be wearing the number 12 jersey.

That’s because that number belonged to the legendary Joe Namath.

While playing for the Jets in the 1960s and 1970s, Namath was an absolute star and helped his team win their third Super Bowl in 1968.

The franchise retired the number 12 in the 1980s when Namath was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

However, Namath told Rodgers he could wear it before the move even happened.

Speaking about Rodgers leaving the Packers to join the Jets, he said: “If he’s there, yeah, I want him to wear his number.

“We’ve established ourselves well and we’ve gained real respect for our squad, and Aaron Rodgers, God almighty yes, it would be great to have him in New York.”

But during his unveiling after ending a 17-year association with Green Bay, Rodgers revealed he would instead take the No. 8.

He said: “There are some iconic names that have played here, probably none more iconic than number 12.

“And I heard what he said about not retiring his number, but to me, 12 is Broadway Joe, and I didn’t even want to go down that road.”

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But the number eight also has significance for Rodgers, as it is his old college number.

And speaking about the decision, he revealed he was “excited” to wear the jersey.

It was a decision that pleased Namath because he thought it showed Rodgers was respectful.

Speaking after Rodgers’ press conference, the Jets legend said: “Like every Jets fan, I’m thrilled to have Aaron on our team!

“I truly appreciate his respect for our organization’s history and my contributions to it. Now let’s end a TWELVE year playoff drought!!!”

Of course, things didn’t go as planned in Rodgers’ first season with the Jets, as he suffered a season-ending injury early in the campaign.

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But now he’s ready to make up for lost time and try to end the Jets’ playoff drought.

The quarterback first wore No. 8 while playing for the University of California Golden Bears.

While with the Bears, Rodgers had an 18-8 record, and his performances eventually helped him get drafted by the Packers, and the rest is history.

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