Which jersey quantity will Aaron Rodgers put on with Steelers? Listed below are QB’s prime 2025 choices in Pittsburgh

After months of rumors, reports and rampant speculation, it’s official: Aaron Rodgers is the new quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The longtime Green Bay Packers star and recent New York Jets castoff agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Steelers on Thursday, days before the kickoff of the team’s mandatory minicamp.

The pen-to-paper moment brings a long-anticipated resolution to one of this offseason’s most unusual free agent pursuits, with Rodgers repeatedly declining to make firm commitments regarding his football future. Now, however, it’s time to look forward: The Steelers finally have a legitimate starter at quarterback, even if Rodgers is past his prime at 41, entering Year 21.

There are big questions to be answered: How much does Rodgers actually have left in the tank? Will his abbreviated offseason affect his acclimation to Pittsburgh’s system? How many games can the Steelers win with such a proven veteran in tow? Only time will tell. In the meantime, let’s tackle a milder question: Which jersey number might the big name wear in Steel City?

Here’s a look at Rodgers’ options for 2025 when it comes to his new uniform:

Note: NFL rules mandate that quarterbacks must wear a number between 0-19.

Ranking top options for Rodgers

3. No. 12

The Steelers haven’t issued this jersey since Terry Bradshaw retired as the most accomplished quarterback in team history, leaving after the 1983 season with four Super Bowl titles. It seems almost unfathomable they would change course now, given Bradshaw himself recently torched the franchise for its pursuit of Rodgers, calling the team a “joke” and “failure” for such short-sighted efforts. But Bradshaw and current Steelers coach Mike Tomlin haven’t really been on warm terms for a while, at least publicly, and Tomlin was reportedly the catalyst for Rodgers’ entry. Considering how much drama has surrounded the Steelers over the last half-decade of Tomlin’s reign, maybe Rodgers getting his signature No. 12 in Pittsburgh wouldn’t be shocking.

2. No. 3

This one’s easy: It’s currently unoccupied, meaning Rodgers could snag it without a fight. Would A-Rod be reluctant to rock the same No. 3 just used by another aging journeyman in Russell Wilson? Perhaps. But we could also see him embracing a totally fresh look. The No. 3 also carries some potential symbolism, marking Rodgers’ third — and likely last — NFL team.

1. No. 8

Punter Corliss Waitman currently has this number, but we don’t anticipate a journeyman special teamer holding Rodgers up from continuing with No. 8, which he first wore in college at California, then again with the Jets the last two seasons. It’s possible, of course, he’d prefer to shed the number more synonymous with his failed New York pitstop, but there’s also a pretty easy pathway to claiming it for himself in Pittsburgh, with Cameron Johnston (No. 5) set to battle Waitman for a job anyway.

Predicting Rodgers’ 2025 jersey number

While No. 0 would be an unorthodox play, the Steelers haven’t actually allowed players to wear the digit since the NFL permitted its use starting in 2023. We still wouldn’t sleep on the possibility of Rodgers going totally new, and potentially prying a digit between Nos. 10-19 from one of the team’s reserve wide receivers. It’d certainly be a lot of fun to see him sport No. 12 again, reuniting with the number he wore to beat the Steelers back in Super Bowl XLV. But we don’t envision Pittsburgh going that far to spite a franchise legend in Bradshaw. Let’s keep things simple and project that Rodgers will wear No. 8 for his Steelers debut, hoping to restore some glory to the number he first and famously donned as a college standout and draft prospect decades ago.