New England Patriots fans have a lot to be angry about this season.
However, one of the biggest points of frustration, aside from the team being 1-4 and sitting dead last in the AFC East division, is seeing former Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers thrive with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Buy Patriots TicketsWhen speaking with the media on Wednesday, coach Bill Belichick was asked why Meyers wasn’t more of a priority in free agency and how close the Patriots were in re-signing him to a new deal.
“He was a priority. We talked to him,” said Belichick, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “…Relatively, yeah [we were close]. But free agency is free agency.”
Question (from @ByChrisMason): What were the reasons Jakobi Meyers wasn't more of a priority in free agency?
Bill Belichick: "He was a priority. We talked to him."
Question: Did you feel you were ever close?
BB: "Relatively, yeah. But free agency is free agency."
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 11, 2023
Make no mistake, the fan base isn’t upset at Meyers for continuing to prove he was a 2019 diamond that all 32 teams missed on the draft board.
The source of angst for Patriots fans is the fact that Belichick failed to sign him to an extension back in March, while choosing to sign JuJu Smith-Schuster to a three-year, $33 million contract. Meanwhile, Meyers ended up going to the Las Vegas Raiders on a three-year, $33 million deal as well.
The incentives broke down differently, but the contracts looked basically identical on the surface, which has caused a stir amongst the Patriots fan base.
Meyers has been highly-productive in Las Vegas and currently has more receptions, yards and touchdowns than any receiver or tight end currently on the Patriots’ roster, even after missing one game. He has 25 receptions for 274 yards and three touchdowns, while Smith-Schuster has sputtered out of the gates with only 14 receptions for 86 yards.
There are six other players for the Patriots that have more receiving yards currently than Smith-Schuster.
So far, the move has been an absolute bust for Belichick, and this week, he’ll be reminded of it when facing one of the few receiving talents he got right in signing. Meyers could have been one of the cornerstone pieces of the Patriots offense, but Belichick ultimately made the decision to go in a different direction.
