Overview
- Rob Gronkowski said on Wednesday that the Patriots did not consult him before giving No. 87 to receiver Romeo Doubs and that he is "cool with it."
- Doubs, who previously wore 87 with the Green Bay Packers, is the active Patriots player now wearing the number and acknowledged a crucial dropped pass in New England’s season opener against the Seattle Seahawks.
- Multiple outlets note that other players have worn 87 in New England since Gronkowski’s last Patriots game, including Tre Nixon, Matt Sokol and Mitchell Wilcox, and team equipment practice has been cited as precedent for reissuing the digit.
- Gronkowski said he believes only Tom Brady’s No. 12 should be retired, and coverage explains that NFL teams rarely retire numbers because the league limits jerseys to 0–99 and position rules and roster size make retired digits scarce.
- The Patriots have not announced any change to their numbers policy or retired No. 87, and the situation has kept fan and media attention focused on Doubs’s play and whether the team will respond with a public explanation or policy shift.