FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots have named Drew Bledsoe their honorary captain for this Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Bledsoe led the Patriots to a berth in Super Bowl XXXI with a 20-6 victory over the Jaguars on Jan. 12, 1997, the first time the Patriots ever hosted the AFC Championship Game.

“Drew Bledsoe played such an integral role in our efforts to rebuild the Patriots,” Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft said. “He gave fans hope for the future by providing many memorable moments during his record-breaking career. For a franchise that had only hosted one playoff game in its first 35 years, winning the AFC Championship Game at home in Foxborough and taking the Patriots to the playoffs for three consecutive years were unimaginable goals prior to his arrival.”

Bledsoe will be a part of the pregame festivities when he will accompany the team captains at midfield for the coin toss prior to the game.