New England Patriots
There’s a new No. 50 in Foxborough for the first time since Vrabel took over as coach.
Gabe Jacas AP Photo/Butch Dill
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Rookie edge rusher Gabe Jacas has been assigned jersey No. 50, according to a post from the Patriots on X.
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel wore No. 50 during his eight seasons with the franchise as a player. He made a Pro Bowl and was a member of three Super Bowl championship teams before being traded to Kansas City in 2009.
Jacas, a second-round pick out of Illinois, will attempt to bolster the Patriots’ pass-rush. He totaled 11 sacks in the Big Ten last season, and New England traded up to pick him 55th overall.
Vrabel praised Jacas after New England made the selection, telling the rookie edge rusher how much the Patriots wanted to get him.
“You are everything that we are about, man,” Vrabel said during a video of his phone call to Jacas on draft night. “You came into our building on that visit, and not one person — when you left here, everybody was like, ‘We’ve gotta find a way to get this guy on our football team.’”
Several Patriots have won No. 50 since Vrabel was traded. Rob Ninkovich wore the number during his entire time in Foxborough. Chase Winovich and Raekwon McMillan also had brief stints with the number. Christian Gonzalez wore No. 50 in training camp as a rookie.
No one wore No. 50 for the Patriots last season, which was Vrabel’s first as head coach.
Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf used the word “ecstatic” to describe the coaching staff’s reaction when the trade was made.
“His play style is what we’re all about,” Wolf said. “Toughness, determination, grit. He plays a ton of snaps. He plays really hard. He’s super physical. He runs to the ball. Not afraid to take on blockers.
“His junior year, he played a little bit more inside on third downs and things like that, so that’s something that we felt like he could do. Just really the play style is something that stood out, and as far as the visit, this guy is high energy. He’s all about football. He wants to be good. He’s powerful.”
The Patriots released all of the rookie jersey numbers on Tuesday. Here is the remainder of the list:
- OL Caleb Lomu, No. 74
- TE Eli Raridon, No. 82
- CB Karon Prunty, No. 21
- OL Demetrius Crownover, No. 68
- LB Namdi Obiazor, No. 48
- QB Behren Morton, No. 15
- RB Jam Miller, No. 30
- LB Quintavious Hutchins, No. 45
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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