FOXBORO — Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has made it a tradition this season to name at least one “game captain” each week.
Vrabel surprises his weekly choice by showing a high school highlight reel of that week’s captain in a meeting and having the team try to figure out who it is.
It was hard for Patriots players to figure out that it was outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings this week, since one of the clips showed him under center as a wildcat quarterback. Eventually, they figured it out.
But Vrabel thought that Jennings, who will take on a bigger role this week with starting outside linebacker Harold Landry III out, was an obvious choice.
“He’s going to be a game captain, and that’s deservedly so,” Vrabel said. “The professionalism that he’s shown throughout this entire season, appreciate it. Appreciate him taking advantage of his opportunities, playing physical, playing on special teams, finding a role and so again, that was an easy pick for me this week.”
Jennings appeared to be a trade or cut candidate this summer, since there was a question about his fit in the Patriots’ new defensive scheme.
The 2020 third-round pick stuck on the team through training camp, preseason, roster cuts and the trade deadline and has made an impact with sacks in each of the Patriots’ two postseason games.
“Feels good, just being able to represent the team, be a captain means a lot,” Jennings said Friday. “Just looking forward to going out there and going to war with my guys.”
Jennings, 28, is the Patriots’ longest-tenured player, along with right guard Mike Onwenu, who was also drafted in 2020.
