FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - New England Patriots Hall of Famer Drew Bledsoe will serve as the team's honorary captain for the AFC Championship Game this Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Bledsoe guided the Patriots to a berth in Super Bowl XXXI in 1996 with a 20-6 victory over the Jaguars on Jan. 12, 1997, the first time the Patriots ever hosted the AFC Championship Game.
"Drew Bledsoe played such an integral role in our efforts to rebuild the Patriots," said Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. "He gave fans hope for the future by providing many memorable moments during his record-breaking career. For a franchise that had only hosted one playoff game in its first 35 years, winning the AFC Championship Game at home in Foxboro and taking the Patriots to the playoffs for three consecutive years were unimaginable goals prior to his arrival."
New England will play in its 14th AFC Championship Game, its 13th under the ownership of Robert Kraft, the eighth at home and its seventh at Gillette Stadium, when they host the AFC South Champion Jacksonville Jaguars with a trip to Super Bowl LII on the line.
To help celebrate Championship Sunday, Bledsoe will be a part of the pregame festivities when he will accompany the team captains at midfield for the coin toss prior to the game.
