With Brian Hoyer no longer a member of the Patriots, his No. 5 was up for the taking.
Jabrill Peppers apparently pounced on the opportunity.
In a tweet Thursday, the veteran safety seemingly revealed a switch from No. 3 to No. 5. Peppers, who wore No. 5 during his collegiate career at Michigan, wore No. 3 for New England in 2022 after rocking Nos. 22 and 21 for the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants, respectively.
Following a strong first season with the Patriots, Peppers signed a new two-year deal last month. He’ll become just the seventh player in franchise history to wear No. 5, and the first who wasn’t either a quarterback or a kicking specialist.
Here are the other six:
QB Brian Hoyer
K Shayne Graham
QB Kevin O’Connell
P Pat O’Neill
K Greg Davis
K Fred Steinfort
Peppers appeared in all 17 games for New England last season, racking up 60 tackles and one fumble recovery.
