12 Patriots Who Could Have Their Number Retired After Tom Brady

At Tom Brady's Hall of Fame Patriots Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, owner Robert Kraft announced that the legendary quarterback's No. 12 would never be worn again by a Patriots player. This is an honor well befitting of the man who was under center for all six of New England's Super Bowl titles.

With Brady added to the list, the Patriots now have 8 retired numbers. They include Brady (12), Gino Cappelletti (20), Mike Haynes (40), Steve Nelson (57), John Hannah (73), Bruce Armstrong (78), Jim Lee Hunt (79), and Bob Dee (89). Only the Chicago Bears, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, and San Francisco 49ers have more retired numbers.

Under Robert Kraft's ownership, however, the Patriots haven't been particularly eager to retire numbers. Brady was only the third number retired since Kraft bought the team in 1994. The team retired Cappelletti's, Hunt's, and Dee's numbers over 50 years ago.

In recent seasons, the NFL has relaxed restrictions on jersey numbers based by primary position, allowing players more flexibility when choosing their digits. The NFL also began allowing players to wear No. 0 in 2023, an offer that Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez took the league up on.

After the announcement that no New England player would ever don No. 12 again, we started thinking: which Patriots legends should have their jerseys retired next? Here are 12 players who have a compelling case.