Justin Fields, known for sporting the same jersey number since his college freshman year, is set to make a change now that he’s in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers recently revealed jersey numbers for their new players, with Fields being assigned No. 2. Fields had donned No. 1 since his freshman year at Georgia in 2018 and continued to wear it after transferring to Ohio State in 2019. He maintained the number during his initial three NFL seasons after being selected by the Chicago Bears with the 11th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
While Fields may have preferred to retain his number in Pittsburgh, he was likely required to switch it up due to the Steelers’ policy of not assigning No. 1 to any player, as it is considered unofficially retired.
No Steelers player has sported No. 1 in a game since Gary Anderson, the team’s all-time leading scorer with 1,343 points. Anderson wore the number for 13 seasons (1982-1994), with his final game donning the jersey occurring on Christmas Eve in 1994.
Steelers’ Sacred Numbers: No. 1 Remains Untouched
Since then, no player has worn No. 1 during a game, although quarterback Anthony Wright was issued the number for the 1999 season, he never played in a game with it.
The Steelers boast three officially retired numbers: 70 (Ernie Stautner), 75 (Joe Greene), and 32 (Franco Harris). Additionally, certain numbers, such as No. 1, appear to be unofficially retired. While it’s unclear if Fields attempted to secure the number, George Pickens certainly did. The Steelers receiver, who wore No. 1 in college, expressed interest in wearing it in Pittsburgh but was denied.
“I tried to get No. 1, but I think it’s like sacred,” Pickens stated in December 2022. “I wasn’t upset about it; I decided to let it go.”
Ultimately, Pickens settled for No. 14. As a second-round pick in 2022, if the Steelers were unwilling to grant Pickens or Fields the number, it’s unlikely to be reassigned anytime soon. Fields will transition to No. 2, previously worn by Mason Rudolph over the past four seasons. Rudolph’s departure to the Texans in free agency has made the number available for Fields.
