Retiring numbers in the NFL is difficult to do because of the uniform numbering system used for different position groups. Several teams, such as the San Francisco 49ers, found that out the hard way when they retired too many numbers in the 70-range and have struggled to hand out new numbers to offensive and defensive linemen,
When it comes to retiring jersey numbers, the Giants have been inconsistent. The Giants have only retired four uniform numbers since 1972. Frank Gifford (16) and Lawrence Taylor (56) are Hall of Famers, while Phil Simms (11) and Joe Morrison (40) are not.