Outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings played a season-high 42 defensive snaps in the New England Patriots’ 28-16 victory over the Houston Texans in the NFL playoffs last week.
When the Patriots play the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday, the former Dadeville High School and Alabama standout could be in for a heavier load, but he will carry it as a team captain.
Offseason free-agent addition Harold Landry played 75 percent of New England’s defensive snaps in the regular season. But a knee injury has caused Landry’s playing time to decrease in three consecutive games, and he won’t play at all against Denver.
That should keep Jennings in the starting lineup for a second straight game. He started three times in the regular season. After recording two sacks in the regular season, Jennings had one in the Patriots’ 16-3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in a Wild-Card Round game on Jan. 11, then counted another sack among his five tackles against the Texans.
“He’s going to be a game captain,” Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said on Friday, “and that’s deservedly so. … Again, the 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 again, that was an easy pick for me this week.”
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After starting 16 games in 2024, Jennings played 551 fewer defensive snaps and 124 more special-teams plays in 2025.
“It meant a lot,” Jennings said of being named a game captain. “Like I said, man, just having the opportunity to represent the team and, just like I said, man, we’re working together to go out there and to get a win on Sunday and bring it back here.”
Jennings said Vrabel announced his captaincy during a team meeting while showing video of his Dadeville High School days.
“He usually puts up high school highlights,” Jennings said on Friday, “and today he just randomly put some up, and today it was mine. And he kind of let the players figure out, try to figure out who it is. And you know, I already knew who it was, obviously, but the other guys didn’t because I think he pulled up one where I was at wildcat quarterback and threw a touchdown, and everybody was like, ‘Who is that?’ Then they seen it was me, so it was dope.”
The Broncos and Patriots square off at 2 p.m. CST Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver. CBS will televise the game.
The winner of the AFC Championship Game will play the winner of the NFC Championship Game in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8.
The NFC title game matches the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at Lumen Field in Seattle. FOX will televise the game.
Jennings is playing in the postseason for the first time since New England chose him in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
“We just got to do a good job of communicating,” Jennings said, “and going out there playing fast and just being on the same page, not switching up our macaroni and just do what we do.”
