The NFL stuck a pin in a favorite Bill Belichick tactic during spring practices.
The man behind the hood liked the Patriots to know the players beneath the uniform, so he had been a believer in numberless jerseys during OTAs.
That won’t fly this year, with the NFL instituting a new rule that requires all players to have numbers on their jerseys while on the field during the offseason program, according to ESPN.
The new regulation is being enforced, an NFL spokesman told ESPN, to “ensure clubs are in compliance with workplace rules” — meaning, so players easily can be tracked to make sure injured players don’t continue practicing.
It’s likely a bit deflating to Belichick, who is a longtime proponent of numberless jerseys, as he believes the players become more cohesive and comfortable around one another. The Patriots coach learned of the method while studying Hall of Fame Steelers coach Chuck Noll, who also employed it.
“With 90 guys on the roster, that’s a lot,” one New England player told ESPN in 2012. “The idea is to get away from saying, ‘Hey, number 95’ or ‘number 99,’ and call each person by their name.”
That idea is just another that Belichick and the league don’t agree on.