New uniform numbers for Patriots free agent signings announced

As the New England Patriots introduced their new free agent signings on Thursday, they also assigned them all new uniform numbers. Those were posted to the team website shortly after the signings were officially announced.

In total, seven free agent signings were made official for Thursday, with all seven of those players getting to pick their jersey number. They are...

EDGE Dre'Mont Jones: 5
S Kevin Byard: 31
S Mike Brown: 33
FB Reggie Gilliam: 44
G Alijah Vera-Tucker: 75
TE Julian Hill: 80
WR Romeo Doubs: 87

The one that will jump out to Patriots fans right away is - of course - No. 87. That was the number worn by legendary tight end Rob Gronkowski during his career.

What might surprise Patriots fans is the fact that his is not the first time the number has been re-issued since Gronkowski's retirement. Multiple practice squad wide receivers and tight ends have worn it, including a few that made it into games. Matt Sokol wore it for a combined six games between 2022 and 2023, and then Jack Westover wore it in three games in 2024 before changing his number when he moved to fullback.

As for Doubs, he's not picking the number out of nowhere. That was his jersey number throughout his time in Green Bay.

Meanwhile, Byard has a number that was already in use with the Patriots. He'll get Craig Woodson's No. 31, while Woodson will move to No. 4 for his second year in the league. Byard has worn 31 throughout his NFL career. His college No. 20 - which is retired in his honor at Middle Tennessee State - is retired by the Patriots in honor of Gino Cappelletti.

Not every player was able to get their previous number though. Gilliam shared with a laugh that he'd asked Brenden Schooler about No. 41, but that Schooler wouldn't give it up. Instead he gets No. 44 - a "traditional fullback number" as he called it.