Rockingham Times

The New England Patriots have a new player to wear No. 11, following the previous No. 11, wide receiver Julian Edelman.

That number has now been passed on to practice squad kicker Riley Patterson, according to Yahoo! Entertainment.

“For those updating Patriots practice-squad rosters at home, kicker Riley Patterson has been assigned No. 11. (Reporter PSA: The days of retiring numbers, outside of Tom Brady levels, are over. But Julian Edelman can still expect a red jacket in future as Patriots Hall-of-Famer)," ESPN NFL Nation reporter Mike Reiss said in a tweet on Oct. 20. 

Thirty-five-year-old Edelman had played with the Patriots for his entire NFL career -- 12 years -- only leaving after a failed physical examination in April due to a knee injury. That injury led to his retirement from the NFL. In 2019, Edelman became the first Jewish athlete in history to be named the most valuable player in a Super Bowl.

The former wide receiver responded to the news in a tweet featuring a clip of ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, saying, "I'm a bit sad. Actually, I'm lying. I'm quite devastated," according to Yahoo! Entertainment.

Riley Patterson was signed to the Patriots on Oct. 19. He had signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent back in May but was injured in August. He previously played NCAA Division college football for the University of Memphis Tigers.