With Lamar Jackson playing out of his mind this 2023 season and likely to win MVP, New England Patriots couldn’t help but ask: Why did Bill Belichick and Co. not pursue him in the offseason when it was reported he was interested in joining the team?
Interestingly, Belichick provided a rare insight on what went through during that time and why it was hard for them to make a serious run for Jackson.
New England Patriots in Lamar Jackson Sweepstakes During Offseason
For those not in the know, Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens almost had a split when they couldn’t agree to a contract extension.
Jackson basically became a restricted free agency, with the Ravens applying the non-exclusive tag on the star quarterback after he requested a trade. With that being said, any team who would sign him would also need to give up two first-round picks aside from the multi-year and multi-million contract that they would have to shell out to obtain his services.
The Patriots were mentioned as a potential landing spot for Jackson amid all the drama, with Jeremy Fowler of ESPN even saying at the time that New England was a “Wild Card” for the Ravens superstar (via New York Post).
New England’s links with Jackson only intensified when owner Robert Kraft revealed that his friend, rapper Meek Mill, texted him to say that Jackson was interested in playing for the Pats.
But when asked if he would make a move for Jackson, Kraft only responded that it’s up to Belichick to make the call, per Karen Guregian of MassLive.
In the end, however, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots didn’t make a move. Lamar Jackson ended up resolving his issues with the Baltimore Ravens, signing a five-year, $260 million deal in the process.
Did Bill Belichick, New England Patriots Make a Mistake Not Pursuing Lamar Jackson?
Lamar Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens are in an opposite trajectory compared to Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots.
While the Ravens topped the AFC and established themselves as Super Bowl contenders, along with Jackson being the MVP frontrunner, the Patriots found themselves eliminated from playoff contention once again after a 4-12 record through Week 17.
The quarterback role is also a major question mark for the Patriots, with Mac Jones proving to be incapable of leading the team.
With everything that has happened, it’s certainly worth wondering what could have been had the Patriots gotten Jackson.
While it certainly sounds awesome, the reality isn’t always as grand. That is what Belichick emphasized while explaining their decision on The Greg Hill Show.
“There’s a lot of things that go along in the offseason and 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 parts on that one, anyway,” Belichick shared.
“I’ll discuss the players that are on the team, not the ones that aren’t on it. There’s a lot of players out there that were available, that are always available in 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 guys that are here.”
It’s easy to see where Belichick is coming from. As mentioned, the Patriots would have needed to give up two first-rounders if they signed Jackson. Not to mention that with the contract Jackson was seeking, New England would also need to restructure and move the contract of some players.
Hindsight is 20-20, and it’s easy to regret certain moves after seeing how those player perform. At the end of the day, Belichick made a decision and he’s living up with it, regardless if it’s a regretful one or not. Besides, no one knows if Jackson would be as successful had he joined New England.
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