New quarterback Justin Fields will wear No. 5 with the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to a report by David Kaplan of ESPN 1000 in Chicago.
Fields wore No. 1 in his three seasons with the Chicago Bears, but the Steelers have not given that number out since 1999. Fields also wore No. 1 in his two collegiate stops at Georgia and Ohio State.
The Steelers have never officially commented on why the uniform number was taken out of circulation. The last player to wear No. 1 for the team was quarterback Anthony Wright in the 1999 preseason. Kicker Gary Andersen last wore it in a regular season game in 1994.
Other Steelers players to wear No. 1 include kicker David Trout in 1981, halfback Merl Condit in 1940, halfback Warren Heller in 1936 and a halfback named Andy Zeher from 1935.
On the other hand, No. 5 has been a popular number for quarterbacks recently, with Josh Dobbs the most recent wearer from 2017-21. Bruce Gradkowski wore if before that from 2013-15. Before that, punter Paul Ernster wore No. 5 in 2008, Trout wore it in 1987, and Craig Colquitt wore it from 1978-84, winning two Super Bowls. Backup quarterback Terry Hanratty wore No. 5 for the team’s first two Super Bowl wins.
Others to wear No. 5 include halfback John Binotto in 1942, halfback George Rado in 1936 and defensive back Gene Augusterfer in 1935.
Presumed starter Russell Wilson will wear his familiar No. 3 with the Steelers this year. Third-stringer Kyle Allen will have to change from his most recent uniform number. Allen wore No. 9 with the Buffalo Bills last season, but that has long been claimed by kicker Chris Boswell in Pittsburgh. Allen also wore No. 8 when he was in Washington, which was vacated by Kenny Pickett earlier this offseason.
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