Bill Belichick shows his brutal side after latest NFL free agency signing
The New England Patriots lost a game last season after a crucial mistake by Jakobi Meyers, and now the team will sign his replacement for exactly the same price they didn’t want to offer him
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has once again reminded the NFL world of his brutal, no-nonsense approach after an interesting free-agency decision.
The Patriots are in dire need of wide receivers to back up quarterback Mac Jones, having been without a go-to receiver for a number of years after failing with a string of free agency signings and draft picks. To counteract this, Belichick and the Pats signed JuJu Smith-Schuster to a three-year, $33 million deal.
Smith-Schuster won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs last season and essentially served as a second option to Travis Kelce, and impressed in that role. It’s a solid deal for the talented receiver, but one that caused former Patriots receiver Jakobi Meyers.
Incredibly, Smith-Schuster signed the exact same deal Meyers had with the Las Vegas Raiders, with the Patriots unwilling to honor that offer – instead offering it to the ex-chief. Meyers had a truly impressive season for the Pats last year with 804 yards and six touchdowns — but his year will be remembered for one notorious game.
Belichick was furious with Meyers after his decision in December’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders – a result that essentially meant they missed the playoffs.
With the 24-24 tie, Meyers had the ball in his hands and was about to be tackled with the game set for overtime, but he made the bizarre decision to throw the ball back to quarterback Mac Jones, but was intercepted by the former Patriots -Star Chandler Jones running the ball the other way for a touchdown with no time on the clock.
The camera panned to Belichick, who looked angry on the touchline, a coach known for his quick temper when faced with individual errors.
Meyers apologized and took responsibility for the game, and it turned out to be one of his last games in a Patriots jersey — some fans suspected the game put a strain on Belichick that offseason when the player became a free agent.
In fairness, Smith-Schuster has had a more eventful career and had a better season than Meyers. The Patriots may not be done with wide receivers, however, and are reportedly interested in Odell Beckham Jr., DeAndre Hopkins and Jerry Jeudy.