There was a point before the start of the season when the New England Patriots were rumored to be a possible landing destination for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
The former NFL MVP had reached a stalemate in contract negotiations with the Ravens, and Patriots owner Robert Kraft claimed rapper Meek Mill texted him saying Jackson wanted to join the Patriots. Of course, those words created a firestorm of commentary on the possibility of the Patriots trading for Jackson.
When appearing on “The Greg Hill Show” on Tuesday, Belichick commented on the offseason speculation involving the Ravens’ quarterback.
“There’s a lot of things that go on in the offseason. Each player has his own story,” said Belichick, via NESN’s Dakota Randall. “But, look, in Lamar’s case … there was a lot of, I would say, there would have been a lot of moving parts on that one anyway.
“But you know, I’ll discuss the players that are on the team, not the ones that aren’t on it. I mean, there’s a lot of players out there that were available. They’re always available during the offseason. We talked to some of the players, some of the agents and all that. But those are all … those conversations are on a whole other level. So, stick to the guys that are here.”
Bill Belichick asked on @TheGregHillShow about last year's Patriots-Lamar Jackson rumors:
"There's a lot of things that go on in the offseason. Each player has his own story. But, look, in Lamar's case … there was a lot of, I would say, there would have been a lot of moving…
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) January 2, 2024
In the end, the Ravens agreed on a five-year, $260 million deal with up $185 million in guarantees to keep Jackson, while the Patriots continued on with Mac Jones under the center.
The investment from the Ravens has paid off in a big way considering the team is currently the top seed in the AFC. Jackson has continued to show the world why he is one of the league’s elite playmakers at quarterback with 3,678 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions, along with 821 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
If there ever really was a chance for the Patriots to land Jackson, they clearly missed out on a golden opportunity to add a real difference-maker.
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