Aaron Rodgers is wearing the number 8 because his usual number 12 is retired by the teams he has joined after the Green Bay Packers. He wore number 12 for 18 years with the Packers, but when he joined the New York Jets in 2023, Joe Namath's number 12 was retired out of respect, so Rodgers chose to wear number 8, which he wore in college at the University of California. He continued to wear number 8 when he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers because their number 12, associated with Terry Bradshaw, also has not been issued due to respect for the former player. Rodgers respects the legacy associated with number 12 for both teams and chose to revert to his college number 8.