Mike Vrabel surprises Patriots longest-tenured player with honor

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Mike Vrabel surprises Patriots longest-tenured player with honor

Mark Daniels · MassLive

Fri, Jan 23, 2026 ·

3 min read

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FOXBOROUGH – The Patriots gathered together for their Friday team meeting when Mike Vrabel put up an unidentified player's high school highlights on the big screen at the front of the room.

At this point, players started yelling out who they thought they were watching.

Most of them were stumped as the athlete on screen played wildcat quarterback and threw a touchdown. As it was going on, Anfernee Jennings sat back and tried not to laugh before teammates started asking it was him.

It was.

Jennings will be the Patriots game-day captain in Sunday's AFC Championship game in Denver. He said he found out Friday morning when Vrabel played his highlights from Dadeville (Ala.) High School.

"He usually puts up high school highlights. Today, he randomly put some up and it was mine," Jennings said. He lets the players try to figure out who it is. I already knew who it was, obviously. The other guys didn't. he put up one where I was at wildcat quarterback, threw a touchdown. Everybody was like, 'Who was that?' Then they saw it was me. It was dope."

This season, Vrabel has picked a game-day captain to join the team's captains for the coin toss. He tells the players via the team's Friday meetings with a high school highlight video montage.

For Jennings, the honor means everything.

The longest-tenured player on the roster, Jennings played a reserve role this season after starting the previous two under Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo .

"It means a lot," Jennings said. "Just put my head down and work and control what I can control. I'm trying to do my job and help the team win in any way I can. We're at this point and it's a blessing, but mothing changes. I still want to help my team win, put my best foot forward, go out and have fun with the guys."

Jennings' role on defense has increased with Harold Landry dealing with a knee injury. He started three of the final four regular season games. He also started last weekend's divisional round matchup against Houston. In two playoff games, Jennings has two sacks, two quarterback hits, and seven tackles.

He could be in line to start Sunday's conference championship after the Patriots ruled out Landry.

His work this season has impressed his coach, which is why Jennings was named a captain for the AFC Championship game.

"He's going to be a game captain, and that's deservedly so," Vrabel said. "He has a professionalism that he's shown throughout this entire season. I appreciate it. I appreciate him taking advantage of his opportunities, playing physical, playing on special teams, finding a role, and so that was an easy pick for me this week."

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