The Pittsburgh Steelers‘ countdown to kickoff is full steam ahead for the 2026 NFL regular season, with fans needing to wait only 70 more days until the Steel City brand of football returns when the Steelers host the Atlanta Falcons on September 13.
In the spirit of the countdown, we at Steelers Wire will take a look at the history of the No. 70 jersey and analyze which player wore it best.
Steelers current No. 70: N/A
There isn’t a No. 70 on the Steelers roster, as it was retired out of respect for the greatest wearer, who played for the team during the 1950s and early 1960s.
Steelers to wear No. 70
- Ernie Stautner, 1951-1963
Best No. 70 in Steelers history: DT Ernie Stautner
The No. 70 jersey belongs to one of the greatest players in Steelers history: Hall of Fame defensive tackle Ernie Stautner.
Stautner was selected by the Steelers with the 22nd overall pick in the second round of the 1950 NFL Draft and spent his entire 14-year career in Pittsburgh from 1950 to 1963. Stautner appeared in 173 games and made 143 starts.
He earned first-team All-Pro honors once, second-team All-Pro recognition four times, and was selected to nine Pro Bowls.
Arguably the most important player of the Steelers’ first quarter-century, Stautner became the first player in Steelers history to have his jersey retired in 1964 and is the unquestioned greatest No. 70 wearer.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Legendary Steelers’ DT leads 2026 countdown to kickoff: Day No. 70
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