Rob Gronkowski will continue to wear No. 87 on the football field.
On Tuesday, the Patriots traded the tight end to Tampa Bay in exchange for a fourth-round pick. After nine seasons in New England, Gronk – who had retired from the NFL in 2019 – reportedly told the team that he wanted to join former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in Tampa.
NFL.com Insider Ian Rapoport tweeted on Wednesday that the Bucs assigned Gronk his former number, which was originally worn by Bucs tight end Jordan Leggett.
The #Bucs officially assigned new TE Rob Gronkowski number 87, while giving Jordan Leggett number 81.