why is aaron rodgers number 8

Aaron Rodgers wears number 8 because he chose to return to his college number. When he joined the New York Jets, the number 12, which he wore during his long career with the Green Bay Packers, was retired in honor of Jets legend Joe Namath. Rodgers respectfully declined to wear Namath’s iconic number 12 and instead opted to wear his college number 8, which he wore while playing for the University of California. This decision marked a new chapter in his career, distancing from the number 12 while honoring the Jets' history. He continued wearing number 8 when he later signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, as he has a personal attachment to the number from his college days and it was available for him there as well.