Aaron Rodgers has a new team and he will have a new number. The Jets’ new quarterback will wear No. 8 this season, going back to the number he wore in college at California after 18 seasons wearing No. 12 for the Green Bay Packers.
No. 12 was available to the Jets in the sense that Rodgers was given the blessing by Joe Namath himself, for whom the number is retired. However, despite getting the go-ahead to wear Namath’s number, Rodgers wanted to keep the honor of having the number retired.
“To me, No. 12 is Broadway Joe and I didn’t even want to go down that path,” Rodgers said at his introductory press conference Wednesday. “I’m excited about going back to my college number.”
Rodgers clearly has a ton of respect for Namath and the history of the No. 12 for the Jets. His goal now is to make some history with the No. 8 and add a second Lombardi Trophy to the Jets’ mantle, especially since Rodgers noticed the Super Bowl III trophy was “looking a little lonely.”
