Two Patriots Running Backs Bid Farewell To Team En Route To Raiders

The New England Patriots continue to lose players and personnel to “Patriots West,” the Las Vegas Raiders.

The latest Patriots’ defects are running back Brandon Bolden and fullback Jakob Johnson, who will join new head coach Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas.

Bolden is coming off of his best season in the NFL as a 31-year-old running back. In 2021, Bolden was productive in both the rushing and passing attack, especially after James White’s season-ending injury early on.

Bolden was given 44 carries for 226 yards and a touchdown, an average of 5.1 yards-per-attempt. He was even more important in the passing game, with 41 receptions for 405 yards and a pair of touchdowns to go along with quality pass protection when needed.

To end his second stint in New England, Bolden elected to thank the organization and fanbase with a heartfelt tweet.

“All love, appreciate the love and support over the years. Thank you Patriots and Bill (Belichick) for giving an undrafted free agent a chance back in 2012. And Pats Nation, thank y’all for being there witnessing the ups and downs because without both parties there is no me.”

As for Johnson, the German product decided to tweet out a long message, thanking just about every part of the Patriots operation as well as the fanbase.

His original captioned image simply said, “Thank You New England.”

Johnson was the Patriots fullback for three seasons, collecting 83 career yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 13 touches while paving the way as a lead blocker in the run game.