How close was now current Las Vegas Raiders receiver Jakobi Meyers to staying with the New England Patriots last offseason?
On 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Felger & Mass Show this week, Meyers revealed that negotiations with the Patriots were much closer than many realized last offseason. According to Meyers, the Patriots were just $1 million short of what he wanted in a contract extension to stay in Foxboro.
“They just wouldn’t budge," Meyers said . "At the end of the day, (Bill Belichick) didn’t want to move. And I respected it. Like it is his job to do what’s best for his team or what he thinks is best for the team. It just didn’t align on what I felt like I was worth.”
It is more salt in the wound for fans, as Meyers claimed he would've stayed in New England if the Patriots matched the three-year $33 million contract he received from the Raiders.
“They wouldn’t move,” Meyers said. “I wouldn’t have minded staying. It would’ve been a different conversation. I probably would’ve thought about it a little differently. I did enjoy Boston... It was definitely a sting when I left, but I understand the business side.”
Part of that "sting" for Meyers was that despite the Patriots insisting on not increasing their offer, they instead went out and signed JuJu Smith-Schuster. Granted, it was cheaper, as they gave the former Pittsburgh Steeler and Kansas City Chief $25.5 million over three years.
However, even on a cheaper contract, he was supposed to be the replacement and, in some ways, an upgrade. Yet, that never came to fruition this past season, as Smith-Schuster was more of an afterthought than an impact player.
Smith-Schuster finished the year with just 260 yards and a touchdown on 29 receptions, as he looked like a shell of his former self. As to why that was the case, numerous reports stated that the seventh-year receiver never truly recovered from the knee injury he suffered in Kansas City.
Meanwhile, Meyers flourished in Las Vegas. Despite playing with three different quarterbacks due to injuries, he totaled 807 yards and eight touchdowns on 71 receptions in 16 games for the Raiders.
In many ways, decisions like letting Meyers walk instead of giving up an extra million came back to haunt the Patriots and Belichick in their final years together.
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