Who wore number 7 in NFL?

7 is the eligible number for receiving. For a long time, it was available to the offensive players. But as a result of the 2022 number reform, the number opened to the defensive players to satisfy the demand for numbers in some teams where the range is limited due to some options being retired.

For example, you can’t see number 7 in some teams except the honourable places at the stadium. That means the player’s impact was great or connected with some key moments. Chicago Bears retired this number in favor of George Halas, who helped the team during inaugurational seasons in the National Football League. John Elway was the Broncos’ leading quarterback between 1983 and 1998, who participated in 9 Pro Bowls and led Denver to back-to-back league championships in 1986 and 1987. The back Dutch Clark was a part of the initial Lions’ roster from 1931 to 1938 with a break in 1933. Bob Waterfield is the legend for the Los Angeles Rams, while Mel Hein presented New York Giants in 4 All-Star games during his career.

Ben Roethlisberger is a candidate for next number 7 retired. This quarterback had a brilliant 17-season career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team from Pennsylvania made the right choice, and he got the Best Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2004. The quarterback appeared in 6 Pro Bowls, including 4 consecutive. His contribution was also significant – 257.5 yards per pass completion and 418 total touchdowns throughout career. Ben retired in 2021; his number is vacant unless the team confirms the removal from the circuit. Their brilliant career made him unreachable to the opponents in the AV race. Two hundred eight points is cool!

Roethlisberger overcame the previous leader in AV among the 7s – the Hall of Famer John Elway from Denver Broncos. His AV 206 was the reason. He spent 15 seasons with 220 yards per game and scoring a touchdown in almost every game. He appeared in 7 Pro Bowls; the league nominated him for the MVP award 4 times with a single victory. However, despite the regular nominations, he failed to become the Offensive Player of the Year. Elway is the owner of three Super Bowls with his native team. Two of them were as players in 1986 and 1987, and the third record was as the president of football operations in Super Bowl 50 (2016).

The next player with number 7 is Boomer Esiason. This quarterback was active from 1984 to 1997 and played for three teams: Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals. His peak fame lasted in the Cincinnati epoch when he became an MVP in the 1988 season. However, he gained more yards per game in Arizona before terminating his career. If we take full bio, this result is 202 yards per game. Unfortunately, Esiason failed to win the Super Bowl 1988 with the Bengals when the team lost to the 49ers. The player scored 138 AV.

The next player in AV ranking is the quarterback Michael Vick. He wore number 7 in the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles and demonstrated high performance. He and the running back Warrick Dunn became the first duo to reach 1000 rushing yards together. This happened in 2006, the last season before suspension from the game. The reason was the possible participation in the dog fighting when 70 animals with signs of injuries were identified on Vick’s property. The court sent him to jail for two years. After jail, he returned to football as a player for the Philadelphia Eagles. He never won the Super Bowl, but despite this, he gained approximately 108 points.

The last in the top AV ranking is John Theismann from Washington. He started his career in 1974. But it peaked in 1982 when the Redskins won the title in the special format Super Bowl due to an NFL strike. The quarterback led the team to five playoff. Most ended in the first game, but 1982 and 1983 were the most successful. But Theismann still needs to release back-to-back titles. Redskins lost the title to Rams 3-16. This player retired in 1985 with AV 107.

The wide receiver Rashod Bateman debuted in the Baltimore Ravens in 2021. He wore number 12 first. This number is popular among rookies, so this peculiarity caused some discomfort when the quarterback Anthony Brown joined the team next season. Thus, Bateman got vacant number 7. His catching rate is 61.6% in his career. He’s a good catcher, but the team rarely involves him in rushing. The latter happened once in the 2023 season when he brought 18 yards against the Cardinals.

C.J. Stroud is the quarterback of the Houston Texans. The team drafted him in 2023. The choice was right because the player collects 273.9 yards per game. He scored his first touchdown in the Week 2 match against the Indianapolis Colts. His total contribution to the team’s playoff berth is 24 touchdowns during the 15 games he started. The player developed the success in the single playoff game facing the Cleveland Browns.

Green Bay Packers drafted Quay Walker in 2022. The linebacker got number 7. In his first season, the player didn’t perform any interceptions but succeeded in fumbling. The next season became the opposite when he released 37 interceptions and 0 fumbles.

George Halas was the first player in the Chicago Bears who wore number 7. Interestingly, he performed three roles in the team. He was among the team owners; he played there as a fitting end and coached the team after retirement. George Hallas worked in the team structure till his death. He received eight NFL titles. The club included him on the 100 greatest Bears in team history.

The quarterback Tim Marchibroda had a short career in the NFL. He became the last player who wore number 7 before the AV system appeared in 1960. Unfortunately, the player had poor performance throughout their four-year career, with 72 yards per average.