‘Nah, I’m good’: Tom Brady offered to give up his No 12 to newly acquired Patriot Mohamed Sanu – but he said no
- New England Patriots traded a second round pick to Atlanta for Sanu
- The star wide receiver has put together solid career since he was drafted in 2012
- Sanu claims that Brady offered him his uniform No. 12, but he politely declined
- Brady and the Pats, who are a perfect 7-0 this season, play Cleveland on Sunday
Legendary quarterback Tom Brady offered to give up his famous No. 12 jersey to newly acquired Patriots teammate Mohamed Sanu, who says he politely turned it down.
New England obtained Sanu from the Atlanta Falcons for a second round pick earlier this week to shore up a thin wide receiver corps.
The Pats felt an urgent need to acquire a wideout after Josh Gordon was placed on injured reserve and the Antonio Brown experiment lasted just one game.
While emerging as a formidable force in Atlanta, Sanu wore No. 12, the same jersey number worn by Brady throughout his illustrious career.
Mohamed Sanu (left) says he politely declined an offer from Tom Brady (right) to wear No. 12
Sanu (seen above practicing with the Patriots on Foxborough on Wednesday) was acquired by New England in a trade with Atlanta earlier this week
So Sanu says he was surprised when the six-time Super Bowl winner offered to vacate the number.
‘He DM’d me when I first got traded, said welcome and everything like that, how he was excited,’ Sanu told reporters in New England.
‘And then, he said if I wanted 12, I can get it.
‘I was like, “Nah, you got that. I’ll change to 14”.’
Brady has worn No. 12 throughout his entire career. It is a foregone conclusion that when he eventually retires, no other player on the Patriots will wear the number.
The quarterback is so identified with his jersey number that his own personal brand is TB12, a company that offers nutrition and wellness products.
Sanu is a 2012 third-round draft choice from Rutgers.
So far in his career, Sanu has amassed 377 receptions, 4,300 yards, and 25 touchdowns while averaging 11.4 yards per reception.
‘He brings a lot of juice, so it’s good to have,’ Brady told CBS Sports when asked about Sanu.
‘It’s good to see someone that’s competitive. If you watch him play, he plays with an attitude.
‘He’s got a little chip on his shoulder, too, so I think we can relate to each other.
The quarterback is so identified with his jersey number that his own personal brand is TB12, a company that offers nutrition and wellness products
‘And he can relate to a guy like Julian [Edelman], because he was often overlooked in his career, and I think he plays that way.’
Neither the 42-year-old Brady, who is in his 20th season, or the Patriots are showing signs of slowing down.
They have the best record in the NFL so far this season, having won all seven of their games.
The San Francisco 49ers are a perfect 6-0 thus far.
New England plays host to the struggling Cleveland Browns on Sunday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Sanu is expected to be in uniform and play.