New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick has always been known for his quirks when it comes to the operation of his football team. One of these quirks over the last few years has been having his players practice without numbers on their jerseys during offseason workouts.
A new rule instituted by the NFL aims to change that, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. All players will now be required to wear jersey numbers while on the field for organized team activities and mandatory minicamp. According to NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy, the rules were instituted to better track compliance rules regarding players practicing, including those injured who should not be participating in football activities.
Belichick, taking cues from legendary Pittsburgh Steelers coach Chuck Noll, enjoyed using numberless jerseys to force his players to talk more on the field and to get to know each other beyond just the number on their jersey.
The rule change marks the second straight offseason where the NFL has made a rule change seemingly in response to the Patriots. Last year, the league changed rules regarding eligible receivers wearing ineligible number after complaints from the Baltimore Ravens following their playoff loss to New England.