why is aaron rodgers wearing number 8

Aaron Rodgers is wearing number 8 because it was his college number when he played for the University of California. He switched to number 8 after joining the New York Jets instead of wearing his long-time number 12 from his Green Bay Packers days. The Jets had retired number 12 to honor Joe Namath, a legendary quarterback for the team, and Rodgers chose not to wear 12 out of respect for Namath. When Rodgers moved to the Pittsburgh Steelers, he continued to wear number 8, the same number he wore at the Jets and college. The Steelers did not officially retire number 8, so he was able to select it without issue. In summary, Rodgers wears number 8 as a nod to his college days and out of respect for legacy numbers in the teams he joined, particularly avoiding number 12 where it is retired or unofficially reserved.