How Wideout K.J. Osborn Will Get Back To ‘Roots’ With Patriots

Joining the Patriots isn’t the only change K.J. Osborn will undergo with New England.

With a new uniform will come a new number for the steady wide receiver.

Osborn teased on social media that he will switch from No. 17 — that number is already occupied on the Patriots by punter Bryce Baringer — to No. 2 and confirmed as such Wednesday during a video conference call with reporters. The number change has significance behind it for the 26-year-old.

“I’m excited about that,” Osborn told reporters, per team-provided video. “That was my number in Little League football. Getting back to that. Also wore that in Miami. That’s pretty much all there is to it. That’s where it all started, my roots. I’m excited to get back in that two.”

Osborn, who signed a one-year deal worth a max value of $6 million in free agency with the Patriots, is in a position to become New England’s top wide receiver. He was reliable and consistent for the Minnesota Vikings, catching at least 48 balls the last three seasons and recording a minimum of 540 receiving yards each year.

But Osborn was far from the go-to option with the Vikings, as he played behind Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and 2023 first-round pick Jordan Addison. Osborn won’t find nearly the same level of talent at the receiver position with the Patriots, opening up the possibility of a much larger role for the 5-foot-11, 203-pound pass-catcher.

Osborn joins a Patriots receiver room that features Kendrick Bourne, who is coming off a torn ACL, DeMario Douglas, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton and Jalen Reagor.

But if Osborn can make the most of his opportunity, the new Patriots No. 2 just might be a No. 1 receiver in a reworked offense.