The New England Patriots are going back to the Super Bowl in the first year of a rebuild under head coach Mike Vrabel. Many players contributed to getting the team here, including veteran linebacker Anfernee Jennings, who has continued to grind and make an impact in the deep parts of the season despite not getting off to the best start.
Although Jennings is the longest-tenured defensive player, his status to make the team was uncertain, and he was considered a cut candidate throughout the offseason programs. He continued to show his value and what he could bring to the table for the team, forcing him to be more versatile this season to be a better fit for Vrabel’s new defensive scheme.
Over the last two seasons for New England, Jennings was a starter and was one of the top tacklers on the team. He’s always been great at setting the edge and being a run-stopper as an outside linebacker, but this year his role is used more as a defensive end with his hand on the ground than he’s been accustomed to.
Although it took some time, Jennings was able to showcase himself during the second half of the season and in the playoffs, mostly due to injuries to multiple starters.
Patriots LB Anfernee Jennings Deserves an Increased Role for Super Bowl
It wasn’t until Week 13 that Jennings recorded at least 30% of the defensive snaps, and he went on to do it for the rest of the season. In the playoffs, he played on at least 55% of the defensive snaps in the Divisional Round and AFC Championship Game for New England, tallying 10 tackles and two sacks.
That said, Jennings’ role started to increase as veteran Harold Landry’s lingering knee injury started becoming challenging for him to manage. To help combat this, Landry missed the final two weeks of the regular season in hopes that he'd be better prepared for a playoff run, which seemed to work up until the AFC Championship Game. He didn’t practice at all during the week and was ruled out for the game as a result.
It’s also worth noting that starting linebacker Robert Spillane was also injured on Sunday. He wasn’t ruled out for the game, but he did not return and only lasted for two defensive drives before the injury. It was an ankle ailment, which is what kept him sidelined for the rest of the regular season after they returned from their bye week in Week 15.
With both Spillane and Landry unavailable, the landscape of the defensive depth chart is altered. It automatically pulls Jack Gibbens into being the Green Dot linebacker, leaving rookie Elijah Ponder and Jennings as the only available depth options to fill the void of Landry. There’s also Jahlani Tavai, but he’s more needed in the middle of the defense in these depth concern situations.
Although the Patriots have two weeks to prepare and recover before the Super Bowl, there should be legitimate concern that either Landry or Spillane won’t be available for the Super Bowl, considering how the last couple of weeks have gone; Spillane exited the AFC Championship Game during the first quarter, while Landry never even suited up for the game.
After the season he’s endured, Jennings has a realistic chance to play a meaningful role in the Super Bowl. If he excels, win or lose, the Patriots could forget about moving on from him this offseason, which would save $4 million, per Spotrac. It could also earn him a more lucrative and longer contract when his current deal expires.
The season may not have started this way, but Jennings is now a “Vrabel Guy” as they head to the Super Bowl.