Giants retired numbers

The Giants have retired 14 numbers in franchise history, including one number twice. A look at the numbers — and players — honored by the team:

1 - Ray Flaherty

Number retired in 1935

Flaherty was not only the first Giant to have his number retired; he was the first professional football player to receive the honor. He had two stints with the Giants, first joining the team in 1929 and then returning from 1931-35 after a year as head basketball coach at Gonzaga. He led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, yards per reception and yards per game in 1932, and helped lead the team to the 1934 NFL championship (thanks to his quick thinking during the icy game, the team switched from cleats to sneakers at halftime and scored  27 unanswered fourth-quarter points to earn the win). His number was retired after the 1935 season, when he left to become the Boston football team's head coach in 1936.

4 - Tuffy Leemans

Number retired in 1940

Leemans burst onto the scene as a rookie in 1936 with league highs in carries (230) and rushing yards (830), which made him the lone rookie to earn All-Pro honors that season. He went on to earn All-Pro honors in 1939 and was a member of the Giants' 1938 championship-winning team. In eight NFL seasons, all with the Giants, Leemans rushed for 3,132 yards and 17 touchdowns, threw for 2,318 yards and 25 touchdowns and caught 28 passes for 422 yards and three touchdowns. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978 and was a charter member of the Giants Ring of Honor in 2010.

7 - Mel Hein

Number retired in 1963

Hein spent 15 years with the Giants as a center and defensive lineman. His "Old Indestructible" nickname was a testament to his durability: he never missed a game in high school, college or the pros. He was named MVP in 1938 after leading the Giants to the NFL  championship that season, and he earned All-Pro honors as a center for eight straight seasons (1933-1940). Hein was a charter member of both the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963 and the Giants Ring of Honor in 2010.

10 - Eli Manning

Number retired on Sept. 26, 2021

Manning came to the Giants on a draft-day trade in 2004, with the Giants sending Philip Rivers and multiple picks to San Diego to acquire the rights to Manning, the No. 1 overall pick. He went on to become the most prolific passer in franchise history and a two-time Super Bowl MVP. He leads the Giants in every major passing category with 4,895 completions on 8,119 attempts, 57,023 passing yards and 366 touchdowns. He also was a model of durability: He played in 236 regular-season games with 234 starts, including 210 consecutive starts from Nov. 21, 2004, to Nov. 23, 2017, and never missed a game due to injury. The Giants inducted him into their Ring of Honor in 2021 and retired his No. 10 during halftime of a game against the Atlanta Falcons.

11 - Phil Simms

Number retired on Sept. 4, 1995

Before there was Eli Manning, there was Phil Simms. Simms spent 15 seasons with the Giants, and upon his retirement in 1993 was the franchise leader in every major passing category: 4,647 attempts, 2,576 completions, 33,462 passing yards and 199 passing touchdowns. He led the Giants to their win in Super Bowl XXI, earning game MVP honors after completing 22 of 25 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns against the Denver Broncos. He also was an integral part of the Giants' success in 1990, leading the team to an 11-3 record before suffering a broken foot that forced him to miss the rest of the season, including the team's victory in Super Bowl XXV. Simms' No. 11 was retired at halftime of a game against the Cowboys, and he was a charter member of the Giants Ring of Honor in 2010. 

14 - Ward Cuff

Number retired in 1946

Cuff was incredibly versatile for the Giants, playing running back, kicker and defensive back. He totaled 3,243 scrimmage yards (1,766 rushing, 1,477 receiving), scored 18 touchdowns (six rushing, 12 receiving) and made 31 of 70 field-goal attempts and 98 of 102 extra points. He was a member of the Giants' 1938 championship team.

14 - Y.A. Tittle

Number retired in 1965

Ward Cuff's No. 14 already had been retired when the Giants traded for Tittle prior to the 1961 season but unretired it at Tittle's request. Tittle initially sat behind Charlie Conerly on the depth chart but assumed the starting role after Week 2 and went on to lead the Giants to the Eastern Division title each year from 1961-64. He twice broke his own passing touchdown record while with the Giants (33 in 1962, then 36 in 1963), was a charter member of the Giants Ring of Honor in 2010 and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971. The No. 14 now is retired in honor of both Cuff and Tittle.

16 - Frank Gifford

Number retired on Oct. 19, 2000

Well before his days as a broadcaster and TV personality, Gifford was the engine that made the Giants of the 1950s go. He accounted for 9,866 total yards (3,609 rushing, 5,434 receiving, 823 passing) and 91 touchdowns (34 rushing, 43 receiving, 14 passing) and was league MVP in 1956 as he helped lead the Giants to the NFL championship. He was an eight-time Pro Bowler at three different positions: defensive back, halfback and flanker. Gifford was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977.

32 - Al Blozis

Number retired in 1945

Blozis' No. 32 was posthumously retired after he was killed in action during World War II in 1945. He played offensive tackle for the Giants from 1942-44, earning All-Pro honors in 1943. He was a charter member of the Giants Ring of Honor in 2010.

40 - Joe Morrison

Number retired in 1972

Morrison played 14 seasons with the Giants at running back and receiver. He totaled 7,467 scrimmage yards (2,474 rushing, 4,993 receiving) and 65 touchdowns (18 rushing, 47 receiving). Morrison ranks third all-time in Giants history with 395 receptions. He was a charter member of the Giants Ring of Honor in 2010.

42 - Charlie Conerly

Number retired in 1962

Often called one of the best Giants players not to be in the Hall of Fame, Conerly spent his entire 14-season career with the team. He was Rookie of the Year in 1948, quarterback of the 1956 NFL championship team and league MVP in 1959. He threw for 19,488 yards and 173 touchdowns, both franchise records until Phil Simms broke them. Conerly was an inaugural member of the Giants Ring of Honor in 2010.

50 - Ken Strong

Number retired in 1947

Another versatile player, Strong's claim to fame came in the 1938 NFL championship (otherwise known as the "Sneakers Game"). He was directly responsible for 17 of the Giants' 30 points: two touchdowns, two extra points and a field goal. He scored 479 career points, and his 324 with the Giants were a franchise record at the time of his retirement. Strong was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967.

56 - Lawrence Taylor

Number retired on Oct. 11, 1994

Widely considered one of the best defensive players of all time, Taylor was at the forefront of the stingy Giants defenses of the 1980s. A ferocious pass rusher, Taylor recorded 142 sacks in 13 seasons (132 1/2 of them are considered official by the NFL, and at the time of his retirement he ranked second all time). He was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year (1981, 1982, 1986), a 10-time Pro Bowler, the unanimous 1986 NFL MVP and a two-time Super Bowl champion (XXI and XXV).  Taylor was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999 and was a charter member of the Giants Ring of Honor in 2010.

92 - Michael Strahan

Number retired on Nov. 28, 2021

Strahan was the heart and soul of the Giants' defense during his time with the team. He played in 216 career games, including 166 consecutive from 1996 to 2004, and was a captain on the 2007 Super Bowl championship team. His 22.5 sacks in 2001 are tied for the NFL record (Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt also achieved the mark in 2021). Strahan recorded 141.5 career sacks, which is the official franchise record (9.5 of Lawrence Taylor's 142 sacks came before the NFL recognized sacks as an official stat) and 854 career tackles. A five-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler, Strahan was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014 and was an inaugural member of the Giants Ring of Honor in 2010. His No. 92 was retired during halftime of a game against the Eagles, a team he sacked 21.5 times.