Excitement among Patriots fans Thursday arose well before kickoff of New England’s preseason opener.
The Patriots handed out semi-traditional jersey numbers to rookies ahead of their clash with the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. The most noteworthy number of the bunch was that of N’Keal Harry, who originally was reported to be wearing No. 10. Ten, of course, is the number Josh Gordon rocked last season in 11 games with New England.
Well, it turns out Harry won’t sport No. 10 after all. The Patriots officially released their preseason rookie jersey numbers early afternoon, with Harry slated as No. 8. A number of Patriots fans were under the impression Harry’s new number had something to do with Gordon.
Little stock should be put into preseason jersey numbers. There’s a chance some rookies will stick with the number they wear over the next few weeks, but changes should be expected. Harry, for instance, will need to change his number again ahead of Week 1, as No. 8 is not permitted for wide receivers under league rules.
As for Gordon, he’ll need to earn the go-ahead from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before we talk about the veteran wideout rejoining the Patriots.
