Punter Jake Bailey doesn’t believe he should have been suspended by the New England Patriots on Friday, and his agent has filed a grievance over the decision.
On Friday, the team surprisingly suspended rookie defensive back Jack Jones and Bailey. Furthermore, the Patriots made the suspension retroactive to Dec. 31, meaning it would cost both players their Week 17 and 18 game checks.
In a statement, Bailey’s agent Doug Hendrickson told Pro Football Talk that his client “was ready, willing, and able to return to play” before his surprise suspension Friday.
“While Jake Bailey was on IR he never missed a single treatment, meeting, or practice. He was hoping to come off IR to play last weekend, but Jake was informed he was being suspended these last two games. This comes as a surprise given his full participation during injury reserve. We have filed a grievance to fight this unknown suspension.”
In November, Bailey was placed on injured reserve, but he was off the list late in December and had partially practiced the last two weeks in the hopes of playing in Week 17. However, a source told ESPN on Friday that “the team suspension is due, in part, to differing viewpoints on if Bailey was ready to return to game action.”
Bailey signed a three-year, $9.1 million extension that included a $3 million signing bonus this season. The suspension for the final games of the season and Bailey’s claims of being surprised are just the latest odd moments in a weird season for the New England Patriots.
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