The NFL will focus on protection of players’ property, especially game-used memorabilia, during Super Bowl LII, after the controversial incident last year where the jersey of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was stolen from the locker room after their come-from-behind overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons in Houston, Texas. According to TMZ Sports, law enforcement agencies in Minneapolis said they will prioritize the safety of player property to avoid a similar incident. A source said the NFL has learned a valuable lesson from last year’s incident, forcing them to make some drastic changes for this year’s Super Bowl, where the Patriots will collide with the Philadelphia Eagles on February 4.
Last year, Mauricio Ortega, an accredited international journalist from Mexico, sneaked into the Patriots’ locker room and stole Brady’s game-worn jersey while the team was busy celebrating their 34-28 win over the Falcons. The jersey was recovered from Ortega’s possession in Mexico and he was banned from future NFL games and Super Bowls for life. Based on information from its sources, TMZ Sports said the overall security plan will involve federal agencies, multiple state agencies and private security, in addition to multiple surveillance devices.
Gronkowski will play in Super Bowl
According to TMZ Sports, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is expected to return from a concussion in time for the Super Bowl, per information from WWE star Mojo Rawley.
The WWE star said he’s been talking to Gronkowski, who told him that the tight end will be good to go on February 4. Rawley called Gronkowski a tough guy, adding that he will be fine come Super Bowl time. "I've got confidence in my friend, my best friend,” said Rawley. Gronkowski suffered a concussion after taking a nasty shot to the head in the first half of their 24-20 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Championship Game.
Patriots busy preparing for Eagles
While Tuesday was an off-day for players, the Patriots started preparations for their Super Bowl LII showdown against the Eagles. According to Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, they are not familiar with the Eagles so they started preparing early. Belichick said the Patriots need to sustain the momentum of their win over the Jaguars as they will be facing a dangerous team in the Eagles: “They're obviously a great team and they're strong in every area.
That's why they're playing in this game. Our attention is on them but there's a lot of work to do,” said Belichick. The Patriots will practice at Gillette Stadium this week before leaving for Minnesota early next week.
