100% agree with you. With the 90 man off-season rosters, there aren't enough numbers to retire them.
Originally Posted by: beast
Teams have doubled up on numbers in the preseason. Back when they had 100 players in TC they would assign the same number to an offensive and defensive player. Typically both would get cut.
Plus there are retired numbers that I'll never get to see play as they were retired decades before I was born.
Sadly it's not about you or even my grandsons. Retiring the number is about the player. A lot of players have had a number, (59 for example) it doesn't increase or decrease my enjoyment of the game. I saw John Anderson play. You probably didn't. Does it change how you view De'Vondre Campbell? Would you think anything different if he wore 58?
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.
Agree with the first part that some standards should be set. The problem is a player that is not Hall of Fame material but could be an all time fan favorite for a team may get his number retired.
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.
I am well aware of this.
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.
The NFL just changed their rules for who could wear a jersey number a few years ago. WR and LB can wear single digit numbers. So it is doable.
The size of numbers on players backs were dictated by the NFL because it makes it easier to see on tv. The technology of the tv cameras is 3 or 4 generations better these days. Numerals could be reduced by an inch or two and still be seen by the tv cameras.
Even so, it isn't that big of a deal. Sometimes fans can only see one of the digits on a player. Until the replay. Refs make mistakes on penalties. The game goes on. Jersey numbers are not critical. They are a convenience.