Best NFL quarterbacks to wear number 12

When it comes to the National Football League, number 12 is one that is often linked to greatness at the quarterback position over decades worth of elite players donning it on their jerseys.

While current NFL stars like Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen are all wearing different numbers when they drop back to pass, 12 is certainly the top number quarterbacks have ever worn and we're looking at some of the high-end talents that showcased it on their jerseys.

25 years ago today:

The New England Patriots drafted Tom Brady at 199. pic.twitter.com/o4EcfMM4PD
— Savage (@SavageSports_) April 15, 2025

Tom Brady (New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

No player will ever be more synonymous with the number 12 than Brady and his seven Super Bowl titles with the Patriots and Buccaneers. Brady's entire career was captivating, from how he managed to get his starting job to never letting anyone take his place on the field once Bill Belichick gave him his shot.

Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers, New York Jets)

Rodgers is still going in the NFL, and all these years later the former Super Bowl winner continues to throw one of the best footballs we've ever seen from a quarterback. The Packers have had lots of talented signal callers over the years from Bart Starr to Brett Favre, but Rodgers was arguably the most electrifying throughout his career both on and off the field.

Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers running onto the field during an NFL game at Lambeau Field / Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Terry Bradshaw (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Before his days of being shown on television as a broadcaster, Bradshaw was an all-time great on the gridiron for the Steelers. Bradshaw was instrumental in Pittsburgh winning four Super Bowls and that earned him a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989.

Roger Staubach (Dallas Cowboys)

Staubach was a throwback signal caller to a different era of football after coming out of the Naval Academy and going on to win two Super Bowls with the Cowboys. He was even granted the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2018, something very few NFL players could even dream of receiving.

Jim Kelly (Buffalo Bills)

Buffalo's track record in the postseason is one of the more upsetting for fanbases in any major sports league, but Kelly's time in upstate New York was nothing short of brilliant because the five-time Pro Bowler helped make the team relevant for years before Josh Allen ever stepped foot onto a football field.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly pointing to the sky after throwing a touchdown pass during an NFL game / Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

Joe Namath (New York Jets)

The Jets have one Super Bowl title in franchise history, and even though Namath didn't put up gaudy numbers he still can say he's the only quarterback to lead New York that feat in the team's long tenure in the NFL.

Bob Griese (Miami Dolphins)

Griese played a massive role in the only undefeated team in modern NFL history when the 1972 Dolphins went on to beat the Washington Redskins in the championship game. The six-time Pro Bowler won multiple titles with Miami, which led to his no. 12 being retired by the team.

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