‘Failure by the Organization,’ ‘Incredibly Disrespectful’ — Kay Adams, NFL Fans Rip Patriots for Giving Rob Gronkowski’s Jersey to Romeo Doubs
· Yahoo Sports
The No. 87 is synonymous with Rob Gronkowski, the all-time great New England Patriots tight end. Yet now, in 2026, eight years after Gronkowski’s last season with the Patriots, the new No. 87, wide receiver Romeo Doubs, is in town.
\nDoubs inked a four-year deal in New England after four seasons with the Green Bay Packers, and the Patriots let him keep his old number, which didn’t sit well with a large section of fans.
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\nPatriots Never Consulted Rob Gronkowski Before Giving Romeo Doubs #87 Shirt
\nIn an interview with talk show host Kay Adams on “Up & Adams,” Gronkowski said the Patriots hadn’t consulted him before giving Doubs the tight end’s former number in New England.
\nAdams ripped into the New England organization for allowing the number of an all-time great to find a new home.
\nShe called it a “failure by the organization I know and love,” adding that Gronkowski is the greatest tight end to play the game.
\nPer PFN’s Impact Ratings, Gronkowski posted three of the four best individual seasons by any NFL tight end between 2010 and 2018 and earned four All-Pro nominations, cementing his status as one of the greatest tight ends in the sport’s history.
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\nBy comparison, in 2025, Doubs earned a PFN WR Impact Rating of 76.3, good for the 29th-best grade among all wide receivers. That was his career-best ranking in the metric.
\nHe entered 2026 with a career-high 724 receiving yards in one season, a total Gronkowski surpassed five times with the Patriots.
\nNFL fans on X echoed Adams’ sentiment. “Insane that 87 isn’t a retired number in New England,” an account called PPRFantasyTips remarked.
\nMike Ginn noted he wasn’t a Patriots fan but said that “87 should 100% be retired” in his retweet of Adams’ post.
\nOne fan stated, “That’s [expletive] disrespectful.”
\nAnother die-hard suggested, “Doubs legit should be forced to change his number. Incredibly disrespectful to the GOAT Gronk.”
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\nRomeo Doubs Struggles In Rob Gronkowski’s Shadow
\nFor all the discourse around his number, Doubs could perhaps have silenced the critics with a strong opening performance for the defending AFC champions.
\nHowever, he laid an egg against the Seattle Seahawks, recording zero catches on three targets, even as the Patriots’ top receiving threat, A.J. Brown, went down with an ankle injury.
\nThe dismal performance, coupled with Gronkowski’s revelation that the Patriots hadn’t consulted him, sparked immediate discourse.
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\nOn one target, Doubs failed to haul in a contested catch, and the Seahawks intercepted the deflected pass.
\nOn another, Doubs dropped a wide-open pass that could have produced a crucial first down in the fourth quarter, and quarterback Drake Maye threw an interception on the ensuing third-and-14 play.
\nThe Patriots lost the Super Bowl rematch, 13-10, and Doubs, one of New England’s biggest free-agent additions at receiver in recent years, contributed to the offensive struggles.
\n“The vibes of this team are SO bad,” one fan said in a retweet of the Adams-Gronkowski interview.
\nWith Brown on injured reserve, the Patriots need to right the ship after an avoidable Week 1 loss. All eyes are on the new No. 87 in New England, and Patriots fans are pressing Doubs to deliver.
\nThis article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.