“All the good numbers are gone.” Bears rookie Luther Burden III on why he picked jersey number 87.
I’m not a “sign this petition” guy at all.
Like at all.
Just the thought of creating one made me cringe.
But having seen how fans have leaned on Chicago franchises previously, and with this subject such a hot topic, I had to give it a shot, so I made a petition.
It’s time for the Chicago Bears to unretire some jersey numbers.
Here’s what I wrote at change.org.
The Chicago Bears have the most retired jersey numbers in the NFL with 14, and while some are household names, like George Halas, Mike Ditka, or Walter Payton, how many fans know about Bill Hewitt, George McAfee, or Willie Gallimore? What if I told you there was a way to honor past Chicago greats while amplifying their significance wearing the Navy and Orange?
A few years ago, Chicago sports historian Jack M Silverstein came up with a plan to put these iconic jersey numbers back in play in his article titled, The 50-Year Plan: How the Bears can unretire numbers and honor more legends.
The gist of Jack’s plan is to put numbers back in circulation after 50 years, while having any players who wears the historic number get a special patch on their jersey. What better way to raise awareness for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund than by seeing a new Bear playing in Pic’s #41? Let a new generation of fan learn about Bronko Nagurski’s legend with a rookie running around in #3. Get a big offensive lineman in #77 (The Galloping Goliath?) while fans recognize the NFL’s first superstar, Red Grange.
Jack’s plan would be fantastic if the Bears implemented it. There’s a new stadium on the horizon, which would be an excellent time for the franchise to create a Ring of Honor.
Unretiring some numbers would also open up the option for the Bears to place a few of their recent Hall of Famers on the shelf for a while. If they put #3, #5, #7, #56, #61, #66, and #77 back in play, then maybe they can honor #23, #50, #54, and #76 with a number retirement.
Give us your thoughts on Jack’s plan in the comment section, and if you agree, then sign the petition.
Luther Burden on why he picked jersey No. 87: “All the good numbers are gone”. #Bears
— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) May 9, 2025