Patriots bonus points: Jakobi Meyers discusses the team’s less expensive offer in free agency

Former Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers said on Monday that the organization made him an offer that was $1 million less than the $33 million, three-year contract he signed in free agency with the Raiders last March.

Meyers did not indicate if the additional million was in the form of total value, total guarantees, or average annual value. Meyers finished as the Pats’ top receiver in each of the seasons from 2020 to 22. When asked what he would have done if the Patriots had accepted Las Vegas’ offer, he also refrained from committing to resign.

It wouldn’t have bothered me to stay. “It would have been a different conversation,” Meyers stated during Felger & Mazz on 98.5 The Sports Hub. “I probably would have given it a somewhat different thought. Yes, I had fun in Boston. I realize the business side of things, but it still hurt to leave.

Meyers stated the Patriots “wouldn’t budge” during the talks on several occasions. According to insiders, the 27-year-old informed teammates that he wasn’t welcome in New England in the days before he left.

“(Bill Belichick) ultimately didn’t want to move. And I appreciated it,” he remarked. As if it is his responsibility to act in his team’s best interests or in his opinion. It simply wasn’t in line with my perception of my value.

JuJu Smith-Schuster inked a three-year contract with the Patriots that had a similar structure, one day after Meyers signed his contract with the Raiders. However, Smith-Schuster’s guaranteed salary essentially locked him in for two seasons, and Las Vegas gave itself a one-year exit clause that would have made the agreement a one-year, $11 million agreement. Meyers concluded the 2023 season with 71 receptions for 807 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns, but the Raiders were so satisfied with him that they reworked his contract to guarantee he would stay.

A persistent knee issue kept Smith-Schuster from racking up many touchdowns in New England, where he only managed 29 grabs for 260 yards. Meyers claimed that compared to the Patriots, the Raiders gave him greater freedom and happiness.

From Las Vegas, Meyers stated, “I probably didn’t get as much respect as I would out here for who I was at that point in my career.” “Yeah (I like it more). I will not be dishonest. It is distinct. ..Every day there, I had to prove who I was. I had to improve every single day. I want to improve every day right here.