Number 1: Another Reason Patriots Fans Should Approve N'Keal Harry Trade
Bad news: With last week's trade of receiver N'Keal Harry to the Chicago Bears, the New England Patriots turned a former first-round draft pick into a future seventh-rounder.
Good news: One of the most revered uniform numbers in franchise history is safe.
With Harry gone, new Pats receiver DeVante Parker is ditching his No. 11 for the newly available No. 1. Feel free to exhale, fans of Tony Eason, Drew Bledsoe and Julian Edelman.
Parker, who wore No. 11 with the Miami Dolphins and No. 9 in college at Louisville, will don No. 1 when the Patriots open training camp next week in Foxboro.
In spite of some concern over his injury history, Parker has the talent to become the Patriots’ top option at the position. His skill-set provides the Pats with the perimeter presence to add a new dimension to their receiving corps, as well as a bona fide target on the boundary for quarterback Mac Jones.
Although New England’s fan base is excited to see Parker in a Patriots uniform, they were a bit uncomfortable seeing him wearing the familiar and fabled No. 11 - last worn by wide receiver, fan-favorite and Super Bowl XLIII MVP Edelman.
Since announcing his retirement in April of 2021, Patriots fans have been clamoring for the retirement of Edelman’s jersey. Despite former practice squad kicker Riley Patterson having briefly worn the number in 2021, the number 11 has not been donned in a game setting since Edelman’s last game in a Patriots uniform in October 2020.
Thanks to Harry's departure, the No. 11 legacy is safe. For now.
