Every NFL team handles retired jersey numbers differently. The Pittsburgh Steelers, for example, only have three officially retired jersey numbers, but they have a plethora of unofficially retired numbers, like Ben Roethlisberger’s No. 7, that they do not hand out.
The New York Giants, on the other hand, are tied with the Chicago Bears for the most retired numbers with 14. If a new player wants to wear one of the officially retired numbers, they must get permission from the former player.
Celebrated Giants QB Phil Simms Weighs in on Giving Out His Number
Former Giants quarterback Phil Simms recently joined host Sal Iacono on the FanDuel TV podcast, where he was asked about retired numbers. Recently, news broke that Cam Ward, the Tennessee Titans’ first overall pick, was given permission by Warren Moon, who played for Houston when they were the Oilers, to his old No. 1.
Iacono mentioned that new Giants linebacker Abdul Carter, whom they selected third overall in the draft, asked NFL titan Lawrence Taylor for his number.
Taylor, also a linebacker, spent his entire 13-year career with the Giants. He is widely considered the greatest defensive player in the NFL’s history. Along with Simms, he helped the Giants win two Super Bowls, was the league’s MVP in 1986, and was a 10-time Pro Bowler.
Iacono said that Taylor said “Go to h***” to Carter, which the host considered a “mild reaction.” He asked Simms what he would say if Carter, or new Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, asked him for No. 11, his old jersey number.
“Hey, look, I told some of my friends and people around me I’d let him have it in a second. Can you just help it a little and make it better? I think it would be a lot of fun; it wouldn’t bother me,” said Simms.
If Abdul Carter or Jaxson Dart request it…
Will the Giants #11 jersey stay retired? 🤔@TheCousinSal @PhilSimmsQB | #NYGiants pic.twitter.com/CZzbl3k6Ef
— FanDuel TV (@FanDuelTV) May 2, 2025
Iacono was shocked that Simms was willing to give it up that easily, saying having your number retired is a tremendous honor. Simms said it still didn’t bother him, but the others around him were less agreeable.
“But my wife, the boys didn’t say anything, but my agent, all of them, ‘Don’t you dare give up that jersey number.’ First off, I don’t think Abdul Carter’s gonna ask for it, but if he had, if it was up to me, I probably would have,” added Simms.
A Look at Phil Simms’ Career
Simms was the Giants’ first-round pick in 1979 out of Morehead State. He spent 14 seasons playing for New York. He not only helped the Giants win two Super Bowls but was also named the MVP of Super Bowl XXI.
That honor came after he set Super Bowl records for the highest completion percentage (88.0%) and the highest passer rating (150.9). Both of those records still stand.
Despite his consistent success, he is widely considered one of the most underrated quarterbacks in NFL history. He completed 2,576 passes for 33,462 yards and 199 touchdowns during his career.