{"id":22256,"date":"2025-05-07T15:18:06","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T15:18:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=22256"},"modified":"2025-05-07T15:18:06","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T15:18:06","slug":"patriots-officially-leave-former-fan-favorite-in-the-past-with-rookies-jersey-choice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=22256","title":{"rendered":"Patriots Officially Leave Former Fan Favorite in the Past With Rookie&#8217;s Jersey Choice"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A New England Patriots rookie&#8217;s jersey number selection proves that the franchise has finally put a recently departed defender in the rearview mirror.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_1919,w_3712,h_2088\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/ImagnImages\/mmsport\/253\/01jtkeh9395vscgx5593.jpg\" alt=\" A New England Patriots fan reacts before Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em>A New England Patriots fan reacts before Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | John David Mercer-Imagn Images<\/em><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-0\">New England Patriots fans are excited for the future now that the 2025 rookie class has arrived in town. From LSU&#8217;s Will Campbell to Memphis&#8217; Kobee Minor and everyone in between, the Patriots&#8217; incoming group of rookies has the potential to become long-term fixtures in head coach Mike Vrabel&#8217;s plans, perhaps as early as the upcoming NFL season.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-1\">The Patriots&#8217; new rookies are only able to join the team because the front office sent several veteran players packing to begin the offseason. One of the offseason exits includes a former New England fan favorite, who just had his old jersey number stolen by one of the newest Pats.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-2\">Patriots Leave Jonathan Jones in the Past as Rookie S Craig Woodson Chooses No. 31<\/h2>\n<p id=\"inline-text-3\">On Tuesday, the Patriots finally announced which numbers their 2025 rookie class would be wearing to begin their NFL careers. Several jersey choices caught the fanbase&#8217;s attention, including that of fourth-round pick Craig Woodson.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-4\">The former California Golden Bears safety will be wearing No. 31 next season, which is the same number worn by long-term Patriots fan favorite Jonathan Jones, who joined the Washington Commanders as a free agent earlier this offseason.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Rookie digits. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/W51ZDNCL5y\">pic.twitter.com\/W51ZDNCL5y<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; New England Patriots (@Patriots) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Patriots\/status\/1919784221242982567?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 6, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-6\">It&#8217;s going to be weird for any Patriots fan to see someone else who isn&#8217;t Jones rocking No. 31. After all, it&#8217;s the number he&#8217;s worn since he joined New England as an undrafted free agent following the 2016 NFL draft.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-7\">Jones was a mainstay in the Patriots&#8217; secondary throughout his nine-year run, racking up 343 solo tackles, 57 broken-up passes, 11 interceptions, 10 forced fumbles, and 2.5 sacks in 132 games (71 starts). Although the ex-Auburn Tiger was never the best cornerback in the league, he did play a vital supporting role in the franchise&#8217;s last two Super Bowl victories.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-8\">With linebacker Ja&#8217;Whaun Bentley released in March, long snapper Joe Cardona retiring last week, and now Jones having his jersey number taken, the fanbase has officially entered a new era of Patriots football.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-9\">As Jones is put in the past, time will tell if Woodson can live up to his new jersey digits. The 2024 first-team all-SEC defender displayed some potential throughout his five seasons with the Golden Bears, registering 165 solo tackles, 18 defended passes, five interceptions, and three forced fumbles in 46 outings.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-10\">He&#8217;s also coming off a final collegiate season that saw him record personal-best Pro Football Focus grades regarding coverage (88.6), run stoppage (85.6), and overall defense (88.5).<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-11\">Patriots fans will have their first look at Woodson and the other 2025 first-year studs in their new jersey numbers when the annual rookie minicamp begins Friday morning.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"inline-text-12\"><\/h3>\n<figure><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A New England Patriots rookie&#8217;s jersey number selection proves that the franchise has finally put a recently departed defender in the rearview mirror.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22257,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-england-patriots"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.7 - 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