Would the Bears remove No. 3 from Russell Wilson?

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The issue of retired numbers that aren’t really retired resurfaced this week when the Cardinals retired Marshall Goldberg’s No. 99 for JJ Watt. Another situation with retired numbers becoming undrawn could arise in Chicago, if the Bears manage to trade for Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

Wilson wore number 3 for nine seasons in the NFL in Seattle. The Bears retired No.3, for Bronko Nagurski. So would the Bears find a way to bring back No. 3 for Wilson?

The Bears have retired 14 numbers, and they announced during Mike Ditka’s No. 89 retirement that no more numbers will be retired. As WindyCityGridiron.com’s Jack Silverstein explained in 2018, Bears President George McCaskey said this in 2013 about the option of not removing numbers: “We discussed a whole range of options. . Numbers without withdrawal were thrown in there and rejected because I said if we want to withdraw numbers, we will have to start with number 7. ”

Team founder George Halas wore number 7. This gives the Bears the unique combination of family members who can bless the non-retirement of a number and franchise that has the absolute power to issue, withdraw and / or withdraw numbers. So if the Bears put No.7 back into circulation, other numbers could be reported as well.

Wilson may not even want No. 3. In North Carolina State and Wisconsin, he wore No. 16. Currently Bears punter Pat O’Donnell is No. 16.

Either way, don’t start ordering custom Bears # 3 jerseys with “WILSON” on the back just yet. Beyond the fact that the trade remains long, Wilson could end up in a new number when he dons a new uniform.