Tom Curran, Phil Perry and Andy Hart react to the Patriots failing to re-sign Jakobi Meyers after he will reportedly sign with the Raiders for $33 million.
Jakobi Meyers (and the rest of the NFL community) couldn't help but notice the irony.
The New England Patriots reportedly are signing free-agent wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to a three-year contract worth $ 33 million. If you'll recall, that's essentially the same contract Meyers will receive from the Las Vegas Raiders.
Here's how Meyers reacted to that development Wednesday afternoon:
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By many accounts, Meyers was a popular member of the Patriots' locker room, blossoming from an undrafted free-agent signing into New England's most productive receiver and Mac Jones' favorite target. NFL Network's Mike Giardi suggested Tuesday that several Patriots players weren't thrilled the team didn't re-sign Meyers, and it appears the Raiders landed Meyers for slightly less than some believed he'd fetch on the open market.
Patriots Talk: An airing of Jakobi Meyers' grievances | Listen & Follow | Watch on YouTube
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But the Patriots' actions -- letting Meyers walk and signing Smith-Schuster to essentially the same deal -- indicate that they feel Smith-Schuster is the more talented player.
Smith-Schuster does have an impressive pedigree: He caught 111 passes for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns during a Pro Bowl season with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018 and is coming off a 78-catch, 933-yard campaign for the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
So, it appears the Patriots made a business decision by swapping out Meyers for Smith-Schuster -- a fact that certainly wasn't lost on Meyers.
For what it's worth, the Patriots will visit the Raiders in Las Vegas this fall.
