why is rodgers wearing 8

Aaron Rodgers is wearing No. 8 because his usual No. 12 jersey is retired by the New York Jets in honor of Joe Namath, a Jets legend. Rodgers chose to wear No. 8 as it was his college number at the University of California, and he wanted to show respect to Namath and the Jets' history by not using the retired No. 12. This number change also marks a new chapter in Rodgers' career. More recently, with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he is continuing to wear No. 8, as No. 12 is unofficially retired out of respect for Terry Bradshaw, another iconic quarterback. Thus, Rodgers is wearing No. 8 to honor team legacies and embrace his past college number rather than using the legendary No. 12 that is associated with other football greats on his teams.