Patriots' Hernandez jersey swap is this weekend

BY NICK ST. DENIS

The New England Patriots swiftly released Aaron Hernandez late last month when he was arrested in connection with a homicide. Hernandez was quickly charged with murder later that day, and the Patriots immediately began wiping their hands clean of the former star tight end.

Within minutes, Hernandez was off the team's official online roster, and the organization didn't waste any time beginning the process of weeding out his presence among the fans.

Saturday and Sunday, the Patriots are offering fans an opportunity to trade in their Hernandez jerseys for another player's, as long as the original purchase was made at the Patriots ProShop, where the exchange will take place, or PatriotsProShop.com.

“We know that children love wearing their Patriots jerseys, but may not understand why parents don’t want them wearing their Hernandez jerseys anymore,” Patriots spokesperson Stacey James said in a statement. “We hope this opportunity to exchange those jerseys at the Patriots ProShop for another player’s jersey will be well received by parents.”

The ProShop is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Here are the official "rules" for the trade-in.

Follow Nick @NickStDenis
Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily