Tag: Tebucky Jones

34 days till Patriots season opener: Every player to wear No. 34 for New England

Here’s a list of every Patriots player to wear the No. 34 jersey number

The New England Patriots are officially 34 days away from their 2023 season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. So we’re continuing our countdown series by listing every Patriots player that has ever worn a No. 34 jersey.

It’s hard not to think of some of the standout running backs, particularly in the Bill Belichick coaching era, when it comes to Patriots players and the No. 34.

Rex Burkhead was the one that powered his way into the end zone in the 2018 AFC Championship Game to deliver the dagger to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime. Shane Vereen had a team-high 11 receptions for the Patriots to help knock off the Seattle Seahawks at Super Bowl XLIX.

And Sammy Morris plowed for 727 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games to contribute to an 11-win season without Tom Brady at quarterback in 2008.

Let’s take a look at every Patriots player throughout franchise history that has worn the No. 34 (via Pro Football Reference).

Patriots’ history with the franchise tag under Bill Belichick

Here’s a look at the Patriots’ franchise tag history under Bill Belichick.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick rarely leans on the franchise tag in present-day negotiations with pending free agents. There was a time when he used it frequently as a negotiating tactic, but in the last eight years, only one player has been franchise tagged by the Patriots.

That run of not tagging players will likely continue in 2023 with wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and cornerback Jonathan Jones being the only legitimate tag candidates on the roster.

That isn’t to suggest both players don’t deserve pay raises. But it’s hard envisioning Belichick and the Patriots footing the bill for a rising price tag at positions they can address through free agency and the draft.

Still, for fun, let’s take a look at all of the Patriots players that have been franchise tagged over the years by Belichick.