Patriots WR Jakobi Meyers seeking long-term deal

Meyers has been with team at OTAs despite not being under contract, notes Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald. The chief reason, Callahan details, is Meyer’s desire to sign a long-term deal after three seasons with the team. The 25-year-old put up modest numbers as a rookie, but has established himself as a key pass-catcher since.

Starting nine contests in 2020, the North Carolina State alum took a major step forward in terms of receptions (59) and yardage (729). In 2021, he led the team in catches (83) and yards (866), finding the end zone for the first two times in his career while starting 16 of 17 games. The Patriots responded by tendering him at the second-round level. That would give Meyers a one-year contract valued at $3.986M.

He has yet to sign that tender, however, aiming for a long-term pact. Negotiations on a new deal would be complicated by the expected uptick in the team’s WR corps – which has added DeVante Parker and  Tyquan Thornton this offseason – and the limited finances New England has to work with. The Patriots currently rank last in the league in cap space, and have yet to sign first-rounder Cole Strange to his rookie contract.

Callahan notes that many key Patriots extensions have taken until August to be finalized. That, coupled with the financial maneuvering the team would need to make to accommodate even his one-year tender, could leave Meyers waiting until after training camp to have a contract in place. At this point, at least, he is remaining optimistic about his future.

“Who wouldn’t, honestly?” he said, when asked about wanting to sign long-term in New England. “It’s a great place to be… It’s just been great to be around those guys. It’s a great city to be in. I’m happy here.”