The Chicago Bears have a math problem. Well, technically, it’s a space problem, but it involves a lot of legendary numbers and a very crowded "No Vacancy" sign. If you walk into Soldier Field today, you aren't going to see anyone wearing the number 51 or 34. That’s obvious. Those belong to Butkus and Sweetness. But what most people don't realize is that the list of retired Chicago Bears numbers is so long that the franchise literally had to stop honoring players this way. They hit the ceiling.
Fourteen. That is the magic, or perhaps frustrating, number. The Bears have retired 14 jersey numbers, which is the most of any team in the NFL. For context, the Dallas Cowboys have retired exactly zero. The Bears were so generous with their immortality in the mid-20th century that they eventually looked at their roster and realized they were running out of digits for the guys actually playing on Sundays.
Basically, if you’re a superstar for the Monsters of the Midway today, you can forget about seeing your jersey hanging in the rafters. It's just not happening.
The Day the Music Stopped for Retired Chicago Bears Numbers
Mike Ditka was the last one. In 2013, the Bears officially retired number 89. It was a freezing Monday night against the Cowboys, and it felt like the end of an era because, honestly, it was. At the time, the organization made it crystal clear: no more.
Why the hard line? NFL rosters have 53 players. Then you have the practice squad. Numbers are restricted by position—though those rules have loosened recently—and the math just stopped working. If you keep retiring numbers for every Hall of Famer in a franchise that has more Hall of Famers than anyone else, eventually your quarterback is going to have to wear number 132.
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The George Halas era was particularly "expensive" in terms of jersey inventory. Think about the names. You have Red Grange (77), the "Galloping Ghost" who basically made professional football a legitimate thing. Then there’s Bronko Nagurski (3). These guys were larger-than-life figures who defined the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. Halas, being the patriarch of the league, wanted to ensure their legacies were permanent. He didn't really account for the fact that the team would keep producing legends for another eighty years.
The Icons You Know (And the Ones You Might Forget)
When we talk about retired Chicago Bears numbers, Walter Payton’s 34 is the holy grail. It’s untouchable. It’s sacred. Nobody even asks for it.
But then you have someone like Willie Galimore. He wore number 28. Younger fans might scratch their heads, but Galimore was an electric running back whose life was tragically cut short in a car accident during training camp in 1964. The Bears retired his number posthumously. It was a move rooted in grief and respect, a reminder that these numbers aren't just stats—they're people.
Then there’s the 40. Gale Sayers. The "Kansas Comet." He only played 68 games. Think about that. In today's NFL, a guy who plays four or five healthy seasons doesn't get his jersey retired. But Sayers was so transcendent, so impossibly fluid on the field, that the Bears didn't hesitate. His 40 sits right alongside Dick Butkus’s 51. They were inducted into the Hall of Fame together, and their numbers were retired together in 1994 during a rain-soaked ceremony that is still talked about in Chicago bars today.
The Full List of the Immortals
- 3 – Bronko Nagurski (FB/T)
- 5 – George McAfee (HB)
- 7 – George Halas (E/Owner/Founder)
- 28 – Willie Galimore (HB)
- 34 – Walter Payton (RB)
- 40 – Gale Sayers (RB)
- 41 – Brian Piccolo (FB)
- 42 – Sid Luckman (QB)
- 51 – Dick Butkus (LB)
- 56 – Bill Hewitt (E)
- 61 – Bill George (LB)
- 66 – Bulldog Turner (C/LB)
- 77 – Red Grange (HB)
- 89 – Mike Ditka (TE/Coach)
The Brian Piccolo Factor
Number 41 is an interesting case. Brian Piccolo wasn't a Hall of Famer. He wasn't even the best player on his own team—that was Gale Sayers. But his story, immortalized in Brian’s Song, became the emotional heartbeat of the franchise. He died of embryonal cell carcinoma at age 26.
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Retiring 41 wasn't about career rushing yards or Pro Bowl selections. It was about the culture of the Chicago Bears. It showed that the "Monsters" had a soul. However, from a cold, analytical roster-management perspective, this is where the "too many retired numbers" problem started to take root. Every time you retire a number for sentimental reasons—however valid—you lose a slot for a future linebacker.
Who Got Left Out?
This is where it gets spicy. Because the Bears slammed the door shut after Ditka, some absolute titans of the game are stuck in jersey limbo.
Take Mike Singletary. Number 50. The eyes. The intensity. The middle linebacker of the greatest defense in the history of the world (1985, obviously). If the Bears hadn't retired 14 numbers already, 50 would be a lock. Instead, you see guys like Barkevious Mingo or Jack Sanborn wearing it. It feels... weird. Right?
What about Brian Urlacher? Number 54. He defined the 2000s for Chicago. He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer. In any other city—Pittsburgh, Green Bay, even New York—that number is gone. In Chicago, it’s technically "available," though the equipment managers generally try to keep it out of circulation for a while out of respect. Still, it isn't officially retired.
And don't even get started on Devin Hester (23). The greatest return man to ever live. He’s in the Hall of Fame now. But he won't get his number retired because the Bears literally cannot afford the "real estate."
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The "Unofficially" Retired Numbers
Since the team can't formally retire more numbers, they've moved to a "soft retirement" strategy. This is a hush-hush practice where the team just... doesn't give certain numbers out.
You won't see a Bears player wearing 54 right now. You won't see 50. It’s a way to honor the legends without triggering the NFL’s wrath regarding jersey numbering rules. But it’s a temporary fix. Eventually, a rookie is going to come in, demand a certain number, and the Bears will have to decide if they want to break the "soft" retirement or keep the kid unhappy.
The NFL's 2021 rule change, which allows almost everyone to wear single digits, actually helped the Bears a little bit. It opened up more options. But even with that flexibility, the 14 retired Chicago Bears numbers remain a massive hurdle for the equipment staff every August.
Comparison: The Bears vs. The Rest of the League
It's actually kind of funny when you look at how other teams handle this.
The Raiders? They don't retire numbers. Period. Al Davis believed that the jersey belonged to the team, and the next player should try to live up to the legacy of the guy who wore it before him.
The Giants have retired quite a few (11), and the Celtics in the NBA are notorious for having almost no numbers left (they’ve retired over 20!). But in the NFL, where rosters are huge, the Bears are the extreme outlier.
Some fans hate it. They think it’s a "loser mentality" to stop retiring numbers just because you have too many greats. They argue that if you’re a Hall of Famer, you deserve the honor, regardless of roster logistics. Others are practical. They realize that at some point, you have to keep the business running.
The Future: Ring of Honor?
Since the jersey retirement path is blocked, the Bears have shifted focus. The "Bears Order of Doom" or a "Ring of Honor" (though they haven't used that specific corporate branding as much as others) is the future.
Expect to see more statues at the new stadium—wherever that ends up being, Arlington Heights or the lakefront. Expect more "Hall of Fame" hallways. But if you’re hoping to see number 54 or 23 officially retired in a halftime ceremony, don't hold your breath. The ledger is full.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you're a fan or a memorabilia collector, understanding the status of these numbers is actually pretty useful.
- Don't expect new retirements: If you are buying a jersey hoping it becomes a "retired" classic, stick to the 14 already on the list. New legends like Steve McMichael or Dan Hampton will likely never have their numbers officially taken out of circulation.
- Watch the "Soft" Numbers: Keep an eye on who gets assigned 54 or 50 during training camp. It’s a huge signal of how the coaching staff views a young player. Giving a rookie Urlacher’s 54 is a massive "prove it" move.
- Visit the Hall: Since the numbers aren't being retired anymore, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton is actually the best place to see the Bears' legacy honored. The Bears have 30+ primary inductees, more than any other franchise.
- Jersey Rules: Remember that the NFL's new numbering rules mean a linebacker can now wear number 1. This "saves" the Bears from a total numbering crisis, but it doesn't solve the historical backlog.
The retired Chicago Bears numbers represent a golden age of football that, in many ways, the league has moved past. They are a bridge to a time when George Halas ran the show from the sidelines and a "Galloping Ghost" ruled the frozen tundra. While the list might be closed for new entries, the 14 men on it remain the blueprint for what it means to bear the "C" on your helmet.
Honestly, it’s a high-class problem to have. Most teams wish they had enough legends to run out of numbers. In Chicago, greatness is just a matter of basic subtraction.
Next Steps:
To see these legends in action, check out the official "Bears Classics" series on the team's YouTube channel, which features restored footage of Butkus and Sayers. If you are heading to Soldier Field, the retired numbers are listed in the stadium's concourse—make sure to locate the tribute to Brian Piccolo, which remains one of the most moving spots in the arena.