A small handful of former New England Patriots dot the rosters and coaching staffs of the two Super Bowl LVI participants.
As Super Bowl week gets underway in Los Angeles, here’s a rundown of the Patriots alums who will be participating in this game:
Los Angeles Rams
Running back Sony Michel is the most prominent ex-Patriot participating in this game. He’s back in the Super Bowl for the second time in four years. In Super Bowl LIII, Michel scored the lone touchdown in New England’s 13-3 win over his current team, the Rams.
The Patriots traded the 2018 first-round draft pick to LA before the season, opting to ride with rookie Rhamondre Stevenson and J.J. Taylor as their complements to lead back Damien Harris. That proved to be a wise decision. Stevenson overcame a slow start to become one of the NFL’s top rookie rushers, showing star potential for New England.
Michel, meanwhile, hasn’t done much this postseason now that top Rams ball-carrier Cam Akers is back healthy, but he had a great December, rushing for 497 yards and three touchdowns during a five-game win streak that helped the Rams lock down the NFC West title.
Michel is the only Rams player who passed through New England, but LA also has a pair of ex-Pats quarterbacks on its coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell (third round, 2008) and assistant QBs coach Zac Robinson (seventh round, 2010) both were Patriots draft picks who briefly backed up Tom Brady at the start of their respective playing careers. O’Connell, who reportedly will become the Minnesota Vikings’ head coach after Super Bowl Sunday, spent his rookie season with New England. Robinson was cut after his first training camp.
One other connection: Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson is the son of former Patriots wideout Shawn Jefferson, who was on the 1996 team that lost to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXI.
Cincinnati Bengals
Patriots fans shouldn’t expect to see many familiar faces on the Bengals’ sideline. Only one member of their roster previously spent time in Foxboro: cornerback Mike Hilton, was on the Patriots’ practice squad for a week in 2016. Hilton spent most of the last five seasons with Pittsburgh before signing with the Bengals last spring.
Tight end Thaddeus Moss, the son of former Patriots receiver Randy Moss, is on Cincinnati’s practice squad injured reserve. Bengals wideout Stanley Morgan is not related to the Patriots great of the same name.
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