16 March 2023 , 20:44
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New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has reminded the NFL world of his brutal, no-nonsense approach once again after an interesting free agency decision.
The Patriots are in dire need of wide receivers to aid quarterback Mac Jones, being without a go-to receiver for a number of years after failing with a number of free agency signings and draft picks. To combat that, Belichick and the Pats signed JuJu Smith-Schuster to a three-year, $33million deal from.
Smith-Schuster won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs last season, acting as essentially a second option behind Travis Kelce and impressing in that role. It's a solid deal for the talented receiver, but one that has caused former Patriots receiver Jakobi Meyers.
Incredibly, Smith-Schuster signed the exact same deal that Meyers had with the Las Vegas Raiders, with the Patriots not willing to match that offer - instead offering it to the ex-Chief. Meyers had a truly impressive season for the Pats last year, with 804 receiving yards and six touchdowns - but his year will be remembered for one infamous play.
Belichick had been furious with Meyers after his decision in the loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in December - a result which essentially meant that they missed out on the playoffs.
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With the scored tied 24-24, Meyers had the ball in his hands and was about to be tackled with the game looking destined for overtime, but he made the bizarre decision to throw the ball back to quarterback Mac Jones, but was intercepted by former Patriots star Chandler Jones, who ran the ball the other way for a touchdown with no time left on the clock.
Bill BelichickThe camera panned to Belichick who looked furious on the touchline, a coach who is renowned for his short temper when it comes to individual errors.
Meyers was apologetic for the play and took responsibility, and it proved to be one of his last ever games in a Patriots jersey - with some fans surmising that the play weighed on Belichick's mind heading into this off-season when the player became a free agent.
In fairness, Smith-Schuster has had a more storied career, and did have a better season than Meyers. The Patriots might not be done just yet with wide receivers though, and are reportedly interested in Odell Beckham Jr, DeAndre Hopkins and Jerry Jeudy.