"Throughout his career with the Packers, Doubs has donned No. 87 on his jersey. It's an unusual number for a wide receiver, since it is generally one that a tight end wears, and Patriots fans know who immediately comes to mind in that regard: Rob Gronkowski."
"Since he retired for the first time in 2019, players have tried to avoid wearing Gronk's number unless the coaching staff gave it to them. That was the case with Mitchell Wilcox, who signed with the team in 2024 and is the most recent player to wear that number, and faced significant backlash for wearing that jersey, despite not choosing the number himself."
"While it's understandable that there's some attachment to the number because of a player who famously wore it, it's not retired, nor does it take away from or diminish what Gronkowski accomplished during his Patriots career."
Romeo Doubs signed a four-year contract with the Patriots and wore No. 87 throughout his Packers career. This number carries significant meaning for Patriots fans because of its association with legendary tight end Rob Gronkowski. While No. 87 is not officially retired, fans have historically resisted other players wearing it since Gronkowski's departure in 2019. Previous wearers like Mitchell Wilcox faced backlash despite not choosing the number themselves. However, several players have worn No. 87 without major controversy, and the number's significance pales compared to No. 12. Doubs' choice to continue wearing No. 87 could create an unnecessary distraction during his Patriots tenure.
Read at Musket Fire
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]