Bob Breidenbach / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick talks with tight end Rob Gronkowski in the first half as the New England Patriots host the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium. New England Patriots wide receiver Romeo Doubs (87) walks to practice for training camp at Gillette Stadium.
Legendary tight end Rob Gronkowski gave years of blood, sweat, and tears to the New England Patriots to help them win three Super Bowls. Along the way, he amassed a Hall of Fame resume and an argument that he was perhaps the greatest tight end the NFL has ever seen.
And how did the Patriots repay him? By turning around and giving away his number 87 to new wide receiver Romeo Doubs.
Gronkowski isn’t exactly happy with the fact that New England didn’t consult him about the situation. But he actually has a fairly healthy view of the matter.
Romeo Doubs is wearing Gronk’s 87 in New England.
NO ONE checked with him or asked him if that’s okay. NO ONE should wear 87 for the @Patriots. pic.twitter.com/1jnc9sESD0
— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) September 16, 2026
The Patriots Didn’t Even Ask Rob Gronkowski About Giving Out His Old Number
Anybody who knows Gronkowski also knows that he’s an extremely easy-going guy who rarely gets serious about anything. But he was as serious as a heart attack during an appearance on “Up & Adams’ with Kay Adams on Wednesday when discussing the number drama.
“I’m not the one who makes the decisions over there,” Gronkowski told Adams. “I wasn’t consulted at all. But I’m cool with it.
“The only number that I truly believe should be retired in New England … is the No. 12. … Tom set the standards. If you’re not on that page, if you’re not playing for 20 years, I don’t think that any other number should be retired.”
New England Has No Consistency With Retiring Numbers
The Patriots retired Brady’s No. 12 in 2024. It was the first number the franchise had retired in 24 years. In total, New England has nine numbers that it does not hand out.
Those numbers are as follows:
- 12 Tom Brady
- 20 Gino Cappelletti
- 40 Mike Haynes
- 56 Andre Tippett
- 57 Steven Nelson
- 73 John Hannah
- 78 Bruce Armstrong
- 79 Jim Lee Hunt
- 89 Bob Dee
Of those nine players, three: Haynes, Tippett, and Hannah, are Hall of Famers. Brady is a lock to join them, while it’s unlikely the other five will be inducted.
Meanwhile, Adam Vinatieri, Ty Law, and Richard Seymour have each been inducted into the Hall of Fame. However, their Nos. 4, 24, and 93 are not retired. Nor is Gronkowski’s, despite him being a Hall of Fame lock.
So, how exactly does one get their number retired as a member of the New England Patriots? It’s hard to say.
Retiring numbers can be a slippery slope. After all, you still have to have numbers to give out. But if you’ve already started, it seems a bit odd not to include Hall of Famers who helped form one of the league’s greatest dynasties.