Mohamed Sanu assumed he would no longer wear No. 12 after being traded from the Atlanta Falcons to the New England Patriots earlier this week. He didn't, however, expect the greatest player to ever wear No. 12 offer him the opportunity to continue wearing his old number. Tom Brady, the Patriots' six-time Super Bowl champion quarterback, apparently did offer the number to Sanu, who politely declined. 

"He DM'd me when I first got traded, said welcome and everything like that, how he was excited," Sanu told reporters on Friday, via 98.5 The Sports Hub. "And then, he said if I wanted 12, I can get it. I was like, 'Nah, you got that. I'll change to 14.'" 

Did Sanu offer Brady anything in hopes of having the chance to keep his old number? 

"No," Sanu said with a smile. "I'll just go out there and do my job and let him be great." 

Sanu has made a quick impression with his new team. On Friday, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick indicated to reporters that the veteran receiver is on track to play in Sunday night's home game against the Cleveland Browns. Sanu, an eight-year veteran who broke into the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals before signing with the Atlanta Falcons in 2016, will look to help bolster a New England offense that had to place fellow receiver Josh Gordon on the injured reserve list earlier this week. 

"Smart kid. Picks things up well," Belichick said of Sanu, via USA Today. "We'll see what we can do here. Sometimes, as it accumulates — early downs, third down, red area, situational stuff — we'll see what the load looks like. He's made good progress both days. Works hard. Good kid. He's really in tune and trying very hard to pick up things quickly, and get on the same page with everybody else. Obviously, there's a long way to go. A lot of work to do. But he's working hard at it. You appreciate that."

Brady, who is off to another strong start in his 20th NFL season, likes what he's seen from Sanu thus far. Sanu, a third-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft out of Rutgers, has 377 career receptions for 4,300 yards and 25 touchdowns while averaging 11.4 yards per reception. He's caught over 65 passes and 650 receiving yards while scoring at least four touchdowns in four different seasons. 

"He brings a lot of juice, so it's good to have," Brady of Sanu. "It's good to see someone that's competitive. If you watch him play, he plays with an attitude. He's got a little chip on his shoulder, too, so I think we can relate to each other. And he can relate to a guy like Julian [Edelman], because he was often overlooked in his career, and I think he plays that way."

Sanu, who was a member of the 2016 Falcons team that fell in dramatic fashion to the Patriots in Super Bowl LI, will look to contribute to an offense that is currently first in the NFL in scoring and fifth in passing. The 7-0 Patriots have also been anchored by a dominant defense that has allowed just 48 points heading into Sunday night's game.