First-year Patriots receiver Romeo Doubs is rocking the No. 87 jersey this season, a number that for years meant one thing, and one thing only, in New England: Rob Gronkowski. And get this, nobody even asked Gronk if that was cool with him. Seriously, they just handed it out! The greatest tight end in NFL history, according to anyone who actually paid attention, apparently doesn’t even get a heads-up when his iconic number gets put back into circulation.
The Gronk Treatment: All-Pro, Super Bowls, But No Retired Number?
Let’s be real, Gronkowski defined the tight end position. Forget the season stats; the man was a force, an absolute nightmare matchup in his prime. We’re talking four first-team All-Pro selections and four Super Bowl championships as Tom Brady’s most reliable weapon. His impact on those championship teams was massive. You’d think that kind of legacy would automatically earn a retired number, right? Apparently not in New England. When Kay Adams hit him up about it this past Wednesday, Gronk admitted he “wasn’t consulted at all.” But here’s the kicker, he said he’s “cool with it” and doesn’t actually care. He even took the diplomatic route, stating the “only number that I truly believe should be retired in New England … is the No. 12,” because “Tom set the standards.” If you’re not playing 20 years like Brady, Gronk thinks no other number should be retired. Wild, right?
The Oddity of the Patriots’ Retirement Policy
Now, Doubs isn’t the first player to wear No. 87 since Gronk’s last game in 2018. Guys like Tre Nixon, Matt Sokol, and Mitchell Wilcox have worn it, some without even catching a regular-season pass. But Doubs is a starter, someone the team is hoping becomes an impact player, so his wearing 87 is way more visible, drawing all this attention. The argument against retiring numbers in football is usually about scarcity: only 100 numbers available, 53-man rosters, and position-specific numbers. It’s a big deal to take one out of play. But then you look at the Patriots’ list of retired numbers: Gino Cappelletti’s 20, Mike Haynes’ 40, Steve Nelson’s 57, John Hannah’s 73, Bruce Armstrong’s 78, Jim Lee Hunt’s 79, and Bob Dee’s 89. Seriously? How many Super Bowls did *those* guys win for the Patriots? Zero. Absolutely none! Gronk, by contrast, won three rings as an All-Pro contributor and is arguably the best at his position ever. His impact on that franchise’s story is bigger than any of those players not named Brady, no question.
It just leaves you scratching your head, doesn’t it? If three Super Bowl rings, multiple All-Pro selections, and being considered the greatest at your position isn’t enough for number retirement, what is? For a team with such a storied history, their approach to honoring their true legends, outside of Tom Brady, seems like a real head-scratcher. It definitely leaves you thinking about what it takes to truly earn a forever spot in their record books.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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