Unbranded football jerseys with single digit and high numbers hanging in a locker room

NFL Jersey Number Rules by Position (2026), Including No. 0

NFL jersey numbers are assigned by position. Under the 2026 NFL rulebook (Rule 5, Section 1, Article 2), quarterbacks wear 0 to 19, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends wear 0 to 49 or 80 to 89, offensive linemen wear 50 to 79, defensive linemen wear 50 to 79 or 90 to 99, linebackers wear 0 to 59 or 90 to 99, defensive backs wear 0 to 49, and kickers and punters wear 0 to 49 or 90 to 99. No. 0 has been legal since the 2023 season for every position except the offensive and defensive line, and No. 00 is not allowed at all.

NFL jersey numbers by position in 2026

This is the full numbering chart from the current rulebook. It applies to every player in the regular season and the playoffs.

Position Numbers allowed
Quarterback 0 to 19
Running back, fullback, H-back 0 to 49, 80 to 89
Wide receiver 0 to 49, 80 to 89
Tight end 0 to 49, 80 to 89
Offensive lineman 50 to 79
Defensive lineman 50 to 79, 90 to 99
Linebacker 0 to 59, 90 to 99
Defensive back 0 to 49
Kicker and punter 0 to 49, 90 to 99

A request to wear a number for a special position not on the list has to go to the Commissioner, per the rulebook.

Why NFL jersey numbers matter to officials: eligible and ineligible numbers

NFL jersey number rules exist so officials can tell at a glance who is allowed to catch a forward pass. The rulebook says eligible pass receivers and a T-formation quarterback must wear 0 to 49 or 80 to 89. Everything else (50 to 79 and 90 to 99) is an ineligible number.

That is why a tackle who lines up as an extra tight end has to report to the referee first. Under Rule 5, Section 3, a player wearing an ineligible number may line up in an eligible spot only after he reports the change, and the referee then informs the defense. He must report again before each play while he stays in that role. Failing to report costs 5 yards for illegal substitution.

What changed in the 2021 NFL jersey number rule

The biggest change in decades came in April 2021, when owners passed a proposal from the Kansas City Chiefs that opened single digits to skill players. Expanded practice squads during the 2020 season had left some clubs short of legal numbers, and the Chiefs pushed for more room.

Before 2021, running backs and defensive backs were limited to 20 to 49, wide receivers to 10 to 19 and 80 to 89, and tight ends to 40 to 49 and 80 to 89, according to the Vikings' summary of the old rule. Linebackers could wear 40 to 59 and 90 to 99, per SportsLogos.Net.

Position Before 2021 2021 rule Since 2023
Running back 20 to 49 1 to 49, 80 to 89 0 to 49, 80 to 89
Wide receiver 10 to 19, 80 to 89 1 to 49, 80 to 89 0 to 49, 80 to 89
Tight end 40 to 49, 80 to 89 1 to 49, 80 to 89 0 to 49, 80 to 89
Defensive back 20 to 49 1 to 49 0 to 49
Linebacker 40 to 59, 90 to 99 1 to 59, 90 to 99 0 to 59, 90 to 99
Quarterback 1 to 19 1 to 19 0 to 19
Kicker and punter 1 to 19 1 to 19 0 to 49, 90 to 99

The result is visible every Sunday. Arizona rookie running back Jeremiyah Love wears No. 4, a number running backs could not wear from the 1973 numbering system until the 2021 change. Green Bay's Micah Parsons wears No. 1. Because defensive linemen are limited to 50 to 79 and 90 to 99, an edge rusher in a single digit is wearing it under the linebacker range.

When No. 0 was allowed in the NFL

The NFL allowed No. 0 on March 28, 2023, when owners approved a proposal from the Philadelphia Eagles at the Annual League Meeting. The same vote moved kickers and punters out of the 1 to 19 range and into 0 to 49 and 90 to 99. Offensive and defensive linemen were left out, so no lineman can wear 0.

Calvin Ridley, then with Jacksonville, was the first player to announce a switch to 0. By August 2023, ESPN counted 22 players set to wear it that season, including D'Andre Swift, Roquan Smith and Greg Newsome II. The number keeps drawing rookies: New Orleans first round receiver Jordyn Tyson wears No. 0 in 2026.

Why No. 00 is banned in the NFL

No. 00 is not on the position chart, so no player can wear it in the regular season. The history goes back to the numbering system the league adopted on April 5, 1973, which the Pro Football Hall of Fame records as 1 to 19 for quarterbacks and specialists, 20 to 49 for running backs and defensive backs, 50 to 59 for centers and linebackers, 60 to 79 for defensive linemen and interior offensive linemen, and 80 to 89 for wide receivers and tight ends. Players already in the league in 1972 could keep their numbers.

That exception is why Raiders Hall of Fame center Jim Otto kept wearing 00 until he retired after the 1974 season, per the Raiders. When No. 0 came back in 2023, ESPN noted the league had not approved a return of the double zero.

How NFL jersey numbers are assigned

Teams issue numbers, and players ask for the ones they want inside their position's range. A few rulebook details shape those choices:

  • Preseason is looser. With bigger training camp rosters, the league allows duplicate numbers and other temporary deviations in the preseason. The chart is enforced for everyone in the regular season and postseason.
  • Position changes can force a new number. A player who moves between an eligible position and an ineligible one must be issued a new number. Moving within the same group (one ineligible position to another, for example) does not require a change, provided he has played at least one season at his position.
  • Retired numbers are not untouchable. Clubs must make legal numbers available even if that means returning a retired number to circulation. Our guide to every NFL team's retired numbers covers which numbers each club has taken out of use.

Numbers from the chart on the field this season

Every jersey you see follows the chart above, which is why Micah Parsons' No. 1, Jeremiyah Love's No. 4 and the rest of the new single digits now show up on fan jerseys too. Browse the NFL collection, including the Micah Parsons Packers jersey and the Jeremiyah Love Cardinals jersey.

Frequently asked questions

What jersey numbers are not allowed in the NFL?

No. 00 is not allowed for any player, because the rulebook's position chart starts at 0. Beyond that, every number is legal for some position but banned for others: a quarterback cannot wear 20 or higher, an offensive lineman must stay between 50 and 79, and defensive backs cannot wear anything above 49.

Can a quarterback wear 99 in the NFL?

No. Quarterbacks must wear 0 to 19 under the current NFL rulebook, so 99 is off limits in the regular season and playoffs. The number 99 belongs to the ranges for defensive linemen, linebackers, kickers and punters, and it counts as an ineligible number for pass catching.

Can NFL players wear 69?

Yes. The number 69 sits inside the 50 to 79 range, so offensive and defensive linemen can wear it, and nothing in the rulebook singles it out. Jared Allen wore 69 in the NFL and is the only Pro Football Hall of Famer to have worn it.

Can offensive linemen wear No. 0 in the NFL?

No. When owners approved No. 0 in 2023, the change covered every position except offensive and defensive linemen. Offensive linemen are limited to 50 to 79 and defensive linemen to 50 to 79 or 90 to 99, so neither group can wear 0 or any single digit.

Can two NFL teammates wear the same number?

Only in the preseason. The rulebook lets the league allow duplicate numbers and other temporary deviations during the preseason, when rosters are larger. In the regular season and playoffs, the numbering rules must be followed by every player, so each active player on a team has his own number.

Sources

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