Only a few months removed from trading Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets, team president Mark Murphy isn't ready to start making plans for a ceremony to honor the all-time great at Lambeau Field.

Murphy said at the team's annual shareholders meeting at the iconic stadium any such acknowledgment of Rodgers' greatness in Green Bay can wait.

"I want to thank Aaron Rodgers for all he did in his remarkable 18-year career," Murphy said to a few tempered boos. "No, Aaron was a great player for us for 18 years. He will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. We will bring him back and retire his number at the appropriate time."

Retirement talk and Rodgers are not new to the Packers' shareholders, who discussed the reality of life without No. 12 each of the previous three annual reporting meetings. But Rodgers didn't retire or keep the team decision-makers in the loop on his plans after last season ended with a loss to the Detroit Lions.

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Retire the number. He earned it. Move to triple digits. Not a big deal.

Originally Posted by: wpr 

I really am not a fan franchises retiring numbers. Honor by removing it from use for a generation (25 years) or maybe just 10 years. I like seeing the numbers of the greats being used because it conjures stories and we get to have their memory live on rather than kind of fade away.

Originally Posted by: Zero2Cool 

Retire the number. He earned it. Move to triple digits. Not a big deal.

Originally Posted by: wpr 

I think 10 years is too short, as Jerry Jones Cowboys would do it with every QB that starts 5 years for them. But something like 25, sounds great.

Originally Posted by: beast 

This made me laugh out loud, literally, haha.

I won't lose sleep over retired numbers, if they do it how I propose or continue doing it. I just think it's a missed opportunity to glorify the memories of the greats. When Dale Earnhardt died, I was thought no one can ever drive 3 ever again, it's disrespectful, shameful, it needs to never be driven again! After a few years gone by I lightened up and then I kept hearing more and more stories about Dale Sr solely because the #3 was on the track. I won't lie, it still bothers me knowing it's being driven (because Sr is gone), but it makes me smile knowing everyone still brings up stories about one who made the number famous. 

There's a story about Billy Sims and Barry Sanders and the number twenty. I just cannot recall it correctly. It bums me that we won't see Lions 20 on the field anymore. 

Originally Posted by: Zero2Cool 

And no one said it was a big deal. Weird.

Originally Posted by: Zero2Cool 

No one can earn their number being permanently retired. No one is that big of a deal. No one.

Anyhow, the three digit comment is interesting. Are players going to come in the shape of Gilbert Brown so they can be read from the stands? haha. That is quite interesting, I would like see how they can make three digits look! Would they only allow up to 199 because it's slimmer than say 888?

1. It would be interesting.
2. I wouldn't mind if the 100-199 were all linemen. No one sees them anyway. Except their wives and mothers.
3. Even removing the linemen from the double digits would increase the availability for other players at other positions. 
 

Originally Posted by: wpr 

100% agree with you. With the 90 man off-season rosters, there aren't enough numbers to retire them. 

Originally Posted by: beast 

Plus there are retired numbers that I'll never get to see play as they were retired decades before I was born.

I wish the NFL had a consistent NFL rule for all teams to do it for, like you said, a generation, or a set time limit. I think 10 years is too short, as Jerry Jones Cowboys would do it with every QB that starts 5 years for them. But something like 25, sounds great. 

Currently, teams can't do that... 
Rules state the numbers between 00 and 99.
Rules also state the numbers have to be a certain size.

Yes, that could be changed, but isn't currently available for teams. Also they have enough trouble with two digits, three digits will give them even more troubles.

You can say that if you want to. MY point of view is if a player is considered one of the top 5 in franchise history, he has earned it. No one gives it to them. They earn that right.

Originally Posted by: wpr 

Why do you feel it is a "right" to have your number retired? I don't really see the honor in it. Because I was great, my number can no longer be worn ever again by anyone by the same team? I don't comprehend the honor there. I'm not arguing here, I'm seriously clueless on it because if I try to put myself in those shoes. I would want my number unused for X years, but as I age, I would love seeing my old number on the field/track. It would make me smile and reminisce of the good ole days haha

Originally Posted by: Zero2Cool 

How about using the binary code!
or
Morse Code....eliminate the numbers all together! 


 

Originally Posted by: buckeyepackfan 

I think the right is the right to always be remembered for that number. And when some clueless person (like me) asks why can't the Packers players where #1, #3, #5, #14, #15 and #66, I can look it up or someone can tell me about the great that wore that number and how it'll always be their number because it's retired.

I knew #4 and #92 from fans talking about them or seeing them for myself.

And I almost never hear #3 Tony Canadeo be brought up. Wouldn't know about him if his number wasn't retired.​​​​​​

Originally Posted by: beast 

How about using the binary code!
or
Morse Code....eliminate the numbers all together!