DeVante Parker has an important decision to make. Parker, who the Patriots acquired from the rival Dolphins in a trade earlier this month, has worn No. 11 for each of his seven NFL seasons. Of course, that number was last worn by Julian Edelman, MVP of Super Bowl LIII and the fourth-leading receiver in Patriots franchise history. A prolific playoff performer, Edelman’s 1,442 receiving yards rank second in postseason history, trailing only 49ers legend Jerry Rice for the most all-time.
It’s unclear if the Patriots plan to raise Edelman’s number to the rafters, though, throughout their 62-year history, New England’s criteria for number retirement has been relatively high with 24—previously spoken for by Hall-of-Fame cornerback Ty Law—and Willie McGinest’s No. 55 remaining in circulation. Parker teased wearing No. 11 in a recent Instagram post, though he was more diplomatic when the subject was raised at Thursday’s press conference.
“I’m not sure yet,” Parker told ESPN’s Mike Reiss in his first media availability since joining the team on April 5th. “The numbers haven’t really been certified yet, what number I’m actually going to get. That’s just what I have right now. So we’ll have to wait and see.”
The NFL did away with most of its number restrictions last year, in theory allowing Parker to switch to No. 9, which he wore while attending Louisville from 2011-14. Unfortunately, that number already belongs to Pro Bowl linebacker Matthew Judon.
If Parker is waiting for Edelman to give him his blessing, that hasn’t happened yet. However, Edelman did make light of the situation on Twitter, responding to a tweet about Parker potentially inheriting his old number.
Despite underachieving, at least relative to expectations (the Dolphins drafted him 14th overall in 2015), Parker had long been a thorn in New England’s side with some of his best performances coming against them including an eight-catch, 137-yard explosion in his final game of 2019. Parker had easily his best statistical season that year, finishing with a career-high 1,202 yards, which ranked fifth behind Michael Thomas (1,725), Julio Jones (1,394), Chris Godwin (1,333) and Travis Kelce (1,229).
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