Andy Borregales returning to football roots with jersey number change

Worn by leading wide receiver Stefon Diggs, the No. 8. jersey was a big part of the New England Patriots' 2025 campaign. With less than a week before the 2026 season opener, however, it remained vacant.

For Andy Borregales, that was all the opportunity he needed. The second-year kicker, who had started his NFL career wearing No. 36, recently adopted the number in what is a return to his personal football roots.

"It was the first number I ever wore when I started playing football at five years old," Borregales told reporters in the Patriots locker room on Sunday. "I kind of waited until the end; if anyone was going to get it, go get it. I saw that it was still available, so I was like, 'I might as well just try to get it,' and here we are."

Borregales recalled wearing the No. 8 jersey all the way up until middle school. When his older brother José left for high school, however, he decided to pick up his old No. 30 jersey. From that point on, he found himself kicking in the 30s rather than the single digits.

That remained the case throughout his stint at the University of Miami, where he again followed in his brother's footsteps, and into the NFL. Wearing No. 36, Borregales made 31 of 38 field goal tries as well as 60 of 62 extra points as a sixth-round rookie.

Like his predecessor in the No. 8, he therefore had an active hand in the Patriots' fortunes last season. But unlike Stefon Diggs, Borregales is still around: whereas the veteran wideout was cut in March and has since joined the Washington Commanders, the 23-year-old place kicker is locked into his position on New England's current roster trying to be a worthy wearer of his new digit.

"I had a great relationship with him," Borregales said of Diggs. "I hope he's doing good in Washington, and I do believe he's going to be doing good. He was a great guy. He was a good locker room guy."

Borregales is entering his second season in Foxborough off a generally solid summer, albeit one that saw him miss three kicks in the preseason opener against the Colts. He was perfect in the two exhibition games since, but that single performance nonetheless raised questions about his readiness.

For his coordinator, Jeremy Springer, there is nothing to be concerned about.

"Oh, he's ready to go. I don't have any doubts in Andy not being ready to go," Springer said. "He's a very mature athlete as a kicker and he prepares that way. He never gets too high or too low. I've seen that a million times here, whether it's a good game, bad game, good practice, bad practice, he learns from it, he studies it and he comes back better the next day."

Borregales will be asked to do so again this season. The only difference is that it will be in a new number that very much is an old one for him.