| NFL teams are keeping 80 guys throw the end of training camp these days, so presumably, teams will eventually have to change the way they honor players. With the Bears, The Bears have a few players from the 1920's and 30's listed in here, which I think constitute the oldest players on this list (Red Grange, for instance). I know Gehrig's number was retired in 1939 for the Yanks in the MLB, not sure if any Bears had numbers retired before then, but the bears were among the trend starters for this type of honor |