The New York Jets have retired five jersey numbers: No. 12 Joe Namath, No. 13 Don Maynard, No. 28 Curtis Martin, No. 73 Joe Klecko and No. 90 Dennis Byrd. Four belong to Pro Football Hall of Famers. The fifth, Byrd’s No. 90, was retired for reasons that had nothing to do with statistics. This page covers all five, plus the franchise career records that sit alongside them, as part of our Jets history archive.
Which Numbers Have the Jets Retired?
| Number | Player | Position | Jets tenure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Joe Namath | Quarterback | 1965–1976 |
| 13 | Don Maynard | Wide receiver | 1960–1972 |
| 28 | Curtis Martin | Running back | 1998–2005 |
| 73 | Joe Klecko | Defensive lineman | 1977–1987 |
| 90 | Dennis Byrd | Defensive end | 1989–1992 |
Five is a short list by NFL standards, and deliberately so. The Jets have played since 1960 and have retired a number roughly once every thirteen years.
Who Are the Five Players?
Joe Namath, No. 12. The quarterback who guaranteed a win in Super Bowl III and delivered it, and still the franchise’s all-time passing leader. His career is covered in full in our Jets quarterback history.
Don Maynard, No. 13. Namath’s primary target and the franchise’s all-time receptions leader with 627. Maynard was on the roster in 1960, when the team was still the New York Titans, and stayed through 1972 — the longest arc of anyone on this list.
Curtis Martin, No. 28. The franchise’s all-time leading rusher with 10,302 yards. Martin arrived from New England in 1998, entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012, and had his number retired the same year.
Joe Klecko, No. 73. The anchor of the New York Sack Exchange defensive line of the early 1980s, and the rare player to earn Pro Bowl selection at three different positions along the defensive front. His Hall of Fame induction came decades after his playing career ended.
Dennis Byrd, No. 90. The one number on this list not attached to a Hall of Fame career — and the one with the most weight behind it.
Why Was Dennis Byrd’s No. 90 Retired?
Byrd was paralyzed in a collision with a teammate during a 1992 game against the Kansas City Chiefs. He was told he might not walk again, and through intensive rehabilitation he did.
The Jets retired No. 90 in recognition of what Byrd came to represent to the organization rather than what he accumulated on the field — he played four seasons. It is the clearest statement of what the franchise treats a retired number as meaning, and it is why the list is five names long instead of fifteen.
What Are the Jets’ All-Time Career Records?
Four of the five retired numbers belong to players who still hold franchise records. The leaderboard is unusually settled — every mark below belongs to a player who retired decades ago.
| Category | Record Holder | Mark |
|---|---|---|
| Career passing yards | Joe Namath | 27,057 |
| Career rushing yards | Curtis Martin | 10,302 |
| Career receptions | Don Maynard | 627 |
| Career sacks (team record) | Mark Gastineau | 107.5 |
| Single-season sacks | Mark Gastineau | 22 (1984) |
A note on the sack totals. The NFL did not make the sack an official statistic until 1982, so Gastineau’s career figure is carried as a team record rather than a league-certified one. His 22-sack season in 1984 stood as the NFL single-season record until 2001. Gastineau’s number is not retired, though he is in the Jets’ Ring of Honor.
Do the Titans and AFL Years Count?
They count in full. The franchise entered the American Football League in 1960 as the New York Titans, was renamed the New York Jets in 1963, and joined the NFL in the 1970 merger — one continuous franchise throughout, so Titans-era and AFL-era production sits in the same record book as everything since.
This matters more here than for most teams. Namath and Maynard both built the bulk of their totals in the AFL, so two of the records above would look very different if the pre-merger years were excluded. Anyone comparing Jets records against a modern NFL-only leaderboard is comparing two different things. For how those eras played out, see our best seasons in franchise history, the Super Bowl III account, and the long-running AFC East rivalries.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many numbers have the Jets retired?
Five: No. 12 Joe Namath, No. 13 Don Maynard, No. 28 Curtis Martin, No. 73 Joe Klecko and No. 90 Dennis Byrd. Four are Pro Football Hall of Famers; Byrd’s number was retired following the 1992 injury that ended his career.
Is Joe Namath’s No. 12 retired?
Yes. No. 12 has been out of circulation since Namath’s playing days and remains the most recognizable retired number in franchise history, tied to the Super Bowl III win that legitimized the AFL.
Why is Dennis Byrd’s number retired if he only played four seasons?
Because the honor recognizes what Byrd represented to the organization rather than his statistical output. He was paralyzed during a 1992 game against the Chiefs and regained the ability to walk after intensive rehabilitation.
Who holds the Jets’ all-time rushing and passing records?
Curtis Martin leads in rushing with 10,302 yards and Joe Namath in passing with 27,057 yards. Both have their numbers retired, and both records have stood for well over a decade.
Does the Jets record book include the New York Titans years?
Yes. The team played as the New York Titans from 1960 to 1962 before being renamed, but it is one continuous franchise, so Titans-era and AFL-era statistics count toward all Jets career and single-season records.
Is Mark Gastineau’s number retired?
No. Gastineau holds the Jets’ career and single-season sack records and is in the team’s Ring of Honor, but No. 99 has not been retired. Only five numbers have.