Mac Jones' playbook wristband stolen after Patriots-Falcons game
Objects being stolen from the New England Patriots while they play the Atlanta Falcons is nothing new. There was a journalist who stole Tom Brady's jersey after Super Bowl LI, and now it seems that this story has new chapters.
According to photos circulating on social media, some items were stolen from the Patriots locker room after they played the Falcons at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 18. The most important of these items was the playbook wristband worn by quarterback Mac Jones.
There is a current ongoing issue within the Mercedes Benz Stadium. Numerous items are being taken out of the locker room without authorization. Some items are more sensitive than others, like this Mac Jones armband. https://t.co/gXoKZ2YLGl
The user of the Twitter account that tweeted a picture of Jones' playbook also posted a screenshot of text messages saying that an Atlanta Falcons employee had been stealing items from the away team's locker room. Apparently, backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who had his socks stolen, was also a victim of the same offender.
I was given a DM in regards to someone who scooped up some items from a @AtlantaFalcons employee that works within the away locker room. Most items are just clothing and apparel but this armband with plays was stolen out of Macs locker. https://t.co/zXawhnocrB
As the messages continue, it looks like the mysterious thief has set his sights on a Tom Brady jersey when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit the Falcons on Sunday, December 5:
To go further into this, they have their eyes set on the upcoming @Buccaneers game. Remember, @TomBrady SB51 jersey was stolen out of his locker when they played the Falcons. https://t.co/R9BD9IEkoY
Patriots items were also stolen during Super Bowl LI
This is not the first time that New England have seen some of their players lose personal items because of locker room thefts.
An international journalist named Martin Ortega earned notoriety during the subsequent weeks after Super Bowl LI because of his alleged theft of Brady's jersey after the Patriots' immense 28-3 comeback to win the Super Bowl over the Atlanta Falcons.
Ortega, a Mexican media member, was also found to have stolen Brady's Super Bowl XLIX jersey (from when the Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks for the quarterback's fourth title) and Von Miller's Super Bowl 50 helmet. Both items were found at his home and were returned to their original owners afterwards.
Ortega's situation turned grave as the FBI itself got involved in the story to get Brady his jersey back. The journalist spoke for the first time about the incident to FOX in 2020:
“I knew what I did was wrong,” Ortega said. “I’m quite embarrassed. Now that I’ve analyzed what happened, I think this is very similar, or the same as an addiction,” Ortega said. “I invested a lot in these items and that ultimately made me want to have more and more and to have what nobody else could have.”
While the jersey is a valuable personal item for the legendary comeback, the playbook may have more serious implications. What if it falls on the wrong hands? That's something no team wants to share, and one can only imagine how alarming it must be for the Patriots and Bill Belichick.