Tag: Rodney Harrison

Former Patriots legend facing backlash for calling Jets QB Zach Wilson ‘garbage’ on-air

A former Patriots legend stirred a hornet’s nest after his harsh comments on Jets QB Zach Wilson

Former New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison is being called out on social media, following his harsh comments relating to New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson on Sunday night.

The Jets faced the Kansas City Chiefs at MetLife Stadium, and Harrison was helping conduct an interview with Chiefs’ pass-rusher Chris Jones, when an awkward exchange ensued. Harrison called Wilson “garbage” and seemingly tried to coax Jones into agreeing with him.

However, Jones took the high road, while Harrison continued to hammer down on his stance.

“But watching that tape, man, you’ve got to look at this dude and say, ‘Oh, he is garbage. We should really tear him apart.'” said Harrison.

After struggling against the Patriots in Week 3, Wilson actually had a decent showing against a Chiefs team that’s widely regarded as a Super Bowl contender. He went 28-of-39 passing for 245 yards and two touchdowns in the game.

But regardless of how Wilson performed, most felt like the former Patriots legend went too far in his criticisms of the young quarterback on national television.

Let’s check out some of the reactions to the incident that have been coming through on social media.

Patriots legend not a fan of Bill Belichick benching Demario Douglas

Bill Belichick is getting called out for his strange decision to bench rookie WR Demario Douglas against the Dolphins.

A New England Patriots legend is disagreeing with the decision made by coach Bill Belichick to bench receiver Demario Douglas in last Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins.

That legend is none other than former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison.

Douglas was benched following a fumble in the first quarter of the 24-17 loss to the Dolphins. The benching proved to be a notable move, given that New England struggled to get production out of the receiver position for most of the night.

Douglas finished the game with two catches on two targets for 19 yards. He took responsibility for the fumble and the benching earlier this week. However, Harrison had his own take on Belichick’s decision, as transcribed by MassLive’s Karen Guregian and Lauren Campbell.

“I didn’t agree with coach Belichick when he took the kid out because the kid — he’s trying his best. He’s making moves. And it’s not like he wasn’t trying to protect the football. He was trying to make plays,” Harrison said, during an appearance on the “Eye on Foxborough” podcast. “You don’t expect the 270-pound guy — 6′4″ — coming that’s gonna swipe the ball. When Ezekiel Elliott fumbled last week, I didn’t see him getting taken out the game. And this is a veteran player, a guy that has carried the ball thousands of times, established player in this league and then a rookie does it. He takes them out and you can really hamper a kid’s confidence, especially (someone), who I believe is going to be a very dynamic playmaker for the Patriots.

“I just didn’t agree with him taking him out. I’m not the coach. But in that situation, if I’m coaching I don’t take him out,” he continued. “I let him stand. I continue to feed him the ball and try to build up his confidence because he’s gonna be a good player. I mean, what does that do? Other than mess with his confidence?”

It was an interesting decision to say the least, given that Douglas had a strong opening game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He had four catches for 40 yards in that contest.

It looked as though the rookie was finding his groove in the offense. New England could have used his speed, particularly with the offense struggling in the early part of the game.

It will be interesting to see how Douglas bounces back this Sunday against the New York Jets. The Patriots will need to have all weapons at their disposal, as they look to avoid falling to 0-3 on the season.

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37 days till Patriots season opener: Every player to wear No. 37 for New England

Here’s a list of every Patriots player to wear the No. 37 jersey number

In 37 days, the New England Patriots will host the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles in their 2023 regular season opener. So we’re continuing our countdown series by listing every Patriots player that has ever worn the No. 37 jersey.

The last player to wear the number in New England was former Patriots running back Damien Harris, who now plays for the Buffalo Bills.

Harris was a powerful runner on the field and an even better leader off it. The former Alabama standout led by example and paved the way for young players like Rhamondre Stevenson to carry the franchise into the future.

Yet, the player most Patriots fans immediately think of when looking back on the No. 37 is New England Patriots Hall of Famer Rodney Harrison. The former three-time All-Pro defensive back played a key role in two of the franchise’s six Super Bowl victories.

He was without question one of the greatest defensive players in franchise history. That alone gives the No. 37 significant value in New England.

Here’s every player that has ever worn the number for the Patriots: (via Pro Football Reference):

2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalists include eight former Patriots

Eight ex-Patriots made the cut as semifinalists for the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

The semifinalists for the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame class were revealed on Tuesday, and eight of the names on that list were former New England Patriots players.

Of course, the two most noteworthy names from a Patriots perspective were former defensive stars Vince Wilfork and Rodney Harrison, both of whom have already been inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.

Darrelle Revis, one of the all-time great corners, is also on the list. He spent the brunt of his career serving as a division rival on the New York Jets, but he did sign with the Patriots for a one-and-done Super Bowl season in 2014.

The other names include linebacker James Harrison, receiver Reggie Wayne, running back Fred Taylor, receiver Torry Holt and tight end Henry Ellard.

There were a total of 28 players named as semifinalists, which means ex-Patriots make up a significant portion of the candidates left standing. The next step is whittling the list down to 15 and seeing which players are one step closer to being immortalized in Canton.

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See it: Rodney Harrison relives David Tyree’s Super Bowl XLII catch

Retired Patriots great Rodney Harrison stopped by the Hall of Fame recently and had to relive David Tyree’s Super Bowl XLII catch.

One of the greatest plays in NFL history came in Super Bowl XLII when New York Giants wide receiver David Tyree trapped an Eli Manning pass against his helmet in the fourth quarter to keep the game-winning drive alive.

The Giants beat the New England Patriots that night in Arizona, 17-14, winning the Super Bowl and ending the Patriots’ quest to become the first team to finish a season 19-0.

The Giants played as well as they could have hoped in that game, keeping the explosive Patriots’ offense and quarterback Tom Brady at bay while making key play after key play.

None was bigger than Tyree’s catch, however, and it has become etched in NFL and Giants lore ever since.

This week, the NBC broadcast team was in Canton to cover the Hall of Fame Game and they visited the museum, which has the famous play on display.

Rodney Harrison, the player Tyree outfought for the ball that night, was joined by Chris Simms, Tony Dungy and Jason Garrett to relive the moment.

As time rolls on, the play becomes more and more incredible. Even Harrison — a two-time All-Pro and Super Bowl champ — has to chalk this one up to the football gods.

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Rodney Harrison makes case for Patriots to draft an LB with 1st-round pick

“I just need a young, fast, athletic linebacker that’s an excellent playmaker that can run sideline to sideline.”

Rodney Harrison may not be a proponent for the popular opinion that the New England Patriots should draft a receiver or, if the team can’t retain J.C. Jackson, a cornerback. Harrison, a retired Patriots safety and current NFL analyst, thinks coach Bill Belichick should go in another direction.

“I would go linebacker,” Harrison said during an appearance on WEEI sports radio. “Defense.”

Harrison added: “I just need a young, fast, athletic linebacker that’s an excellent playmaker that can run sideline to sideline. A guy that can play on every single down. A difference-maker. A guy that can blitz. A guy that can drop into coverage.

“You can find that guy in the first and second rounds. But definitely [draft a player] on the defensive side of the ball.”

New England’s inside linebacker position is looking thin, particularly with Dont’a Hightower and Ja’Whaun Bentley set to hit free agency. Even if both players come back, the Patriots probably need more speed and smarts in the middle of their defense. Both players have been good. Neither were truly great — and that showed late in the season when the Patriots struggled to defend the run. So that makes sense, particularly from the perspective of Harrison, who was a part of the defensive-focused era of New England’s dynasty. But offense seems to be king now.

How important is a WR1?

“It’s very important,” Harrison said. “You think about Nelson Agholor and those guys — I felt like he was going to have more of an impact. I thought Jonnu Smith was going to have more of an impact. But you can’t always go out and find those guys in free agency.

“Sometimes, you have to go out and go draft a guy to see if you can have that impact player. It’d be nice to see if Hunter Henry continues to stay healthy and continue to just get better. Obviously, they’re going to have to go out and find some receivers.”

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Bill Belichick strongly vouches for three former Patriots in Hall of Fame discussion

“Since there’s no criteria for the Hall of Fame, it’s really hard to even have a conversation about it.”

Bill Belichick should be considered a decent judge of NFL talent at this point in his career.

The New England Patriots head coach, who’s been in the league since 1975, has eight collective Super Bowl wins and he’s arguably the greatest coach ever. He’s seen a thing or two around the league and he has a pretty good understanding of which players should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Former Patriots defensive linemen Richard Seymour and Vince Wilfork were recently named semifinalists for the Hall of Fame, while safety Rodney Harrison was left off the list — he was a semifinalist last year.

Belichick discussed the topic on Friday morning and began with some endorsement for Seymour and Wilfork.

“For me, those are the two best defensive linemen that I’ve coached,” Belichick said. “… In my Hall of Fame, those two guys are there. Without a doubt.”

When it comes to Harrison, Belichick was very precise in his praise.

“I think that Rodney Harrison 100% [belongs] in that conversation,” he said. “And I have coached some of the other safeties that have been enshrined in the Hall of Fame, and not taking anything away from them, but certainly Rodney Harrison belongs in that conversation. He certainly belongs in the conversation with other players who are already there.”

Belichick continued by discussing the confusing criteria to get into the Hall of Fame.

“Since there’s no criteria for the Hall of Fame, it’s really hard to even have a conversation about it because we’re not basing it on anything,” he said. “Your opinion of a great player, my opinion of a great player, somebody else’s opinion of a great player — like, I don’t know what that. means. Is it how many year’s they played? Is it how many All-Pro’s they had? Is it how many championships they won? Is it individual stats? You can make it whatever you want to make it. With no criteria, you can make a case for anybody.”

Due to this lack of criteria, maybe Belichick will make a push for Julian Edelman at some point in the future.

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Rodney Harrison offers sound advice for Jonnu Smith amid early struggles

“He’s finally got the financial security he’s looking for, this is the time just to relax and go out there and play.”

Jonnu Smith isn’t playing up to the expectations the New England Patriots had for him when dishing out a four-year, $50 million deal.

The veteran tight end was ascending as a key playmaker for the Tennessee Titans and his 2020 season was the best of his career — totaling 41 catches for 448 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s only had 16 catches for 124 yards and a touchdown through six games thus far in New England.

There appears to be a mental block in place and it likely could’ve stemmed from the loss to the New Orleans Saints. Smith’s day was riddled with mistakes and drops — spotlighted by the pass he dropped that turned into a pick-six for New Orleans.

Former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison joined WEEI’s “Merloni & Fauria” Thursday and gave the tight end some solid advice.

“I remember him when he was with the Titans,” he said. “Before I would see flashes of him as he made his way and kind of became a veteran player in this league and I used to always say, ‘The Titans don’t use him enough. The Titans don’t use him enough.’ What he’s going to have to do is he’s going to have to get to a point, forget about all the expectations and the big contract and just go out there and play. He seems like he’s fighting the ball, he’s not relaxed. The kid has so much talent and so much ability that it’s like he’s putting added pressure on himself. He’s finally got the financial security he’s looking for, this is the time just to relax and go out there and play. He doesn’t have to play scared or anything like that.

“I am looking for him to really step up because the expectations when he came here was that this dude could do a lot of different things — [create] mismatches for linebackers, safeties and even cornerbacks because he’s a very, very talented kid. He just needs to relax and play football.”

Smith has the support of his team and there’s still a long season of football ahead. If he can shake the mental block — the days of Smith taking over games could be right around the corner.

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Rodney Harrison hesitant to buy into ‘slow’ Patriots linebackers, Jamie Collins

“It doesn’t seem like they’re slow, and I love those guys and have so much respect for those guys, but yeah, they are slow.”

The ‘Boogeymen’ are back for the New England Patriots, right?

With the re-signing of Jamie Collins and the current roster of Dont’a Hightower, Kyle Van Noy, Ja’Whaun Bentley and Chase Winovich — it seems like it.

Former Patriots safety and NBC analyst Rodney Harrison is still unsure of this defense and doesn’t think the linebacker group will be the same as they were in 2019.

“You’re spot on. It doesn’t seem like they’re slow, and I love those guys and have so much respect for those guys, but yeah, they are slow,” Harrison said on WEEI’s “Merloni & Fauria” on Thursday. “When you start watching LaVonte David, you start watching Devin White move and blitz and move from sideline to sideline, it’s night and day difference.

“And that was the thing that really stood out to me. I’m like, ‘Look how fast and athletic Tampa Bay linebackers look.’ And the Patriots linebackers, the defense just looks slow. It’s always kind of looked like that, and it starts with those backers, man. Those guys have experience and things like that, but that’s something the Patriots definitely need to upgrade a little bit moving forward. That’s speed.”

Collins has been known for his speed throughout his time in the league, but Harrison even believes the newest addition won’t be the same as before.

“I don’t think it’s anything that — it didn’t move me any when they said they were signing Jamie Collins,” he said. “Maybe [Bill] Belichick can get that fire back in him and he’s probably the only coach that knows how to really utilize him. I don’t know, man. This might be it for Jamie. He needs to show that he can still play, that he still wants to play.”

The biggest downfall of this defense going forward will be the absence of Stephon Gilmore — which will put real pressure on J.C. Jackson to hold his group together.

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NFL fans had jokes about Rodney Harrison not holding his own umbrella on TV

The internet roasted Rodney Harrison — and, of course, he didn’t deserve.

Retired New England Patriots safety and NFL analyst Rodney Harrison required some help from an assistant during the NBC Sports broadcast on Sunday night. Someone had to hold an umbrella for him.

It seems as if Harrison decided not to use an umbrella, which backfired. The rain picked up and, rather than take the umbrella from an assistant, Harrison decided to simply let that individual take care of the rain coverage. It made for a hilarious scene, with the other three broadcasters holding their own umbrella. Here’s a look at the still frame that made for endless jokes on Twitter from media members, former players and fans.

Pretty silly, right? Here’s how everyone reacted.