Jakobi Meyers didn’t sound thrilled when the New England Patriots let him walk in free agency and then signed JuJu Smith-Schuster to what appeared to be a strikingly similar contract.
“Cold world lol,” Meyers tweeted Wednesday, minutes after Smith-Schuster’s deal was reported.
But when he was asked about that reaction during his introductory Raiders news conference, the wide receiver insisted he was just joking around.
Meyers said he’s happy to be in Las Vegas, where he’ll reunite with former New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and team up with the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo, Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs, but still appreciates and respects the Patriots.
“Nah, not for real,” Meyers told reporters when asked if he had any animosity toward his former team. “I just like messing with people, honestly. I just like to get under people’s skin. But no, honestly I appreciate them for everything that I’ve been through there. I never really got to say — well, I did get to say goodbye, but I never really got to tell them ‘bye’ as I was leaving the building.
“(The tweet) was just me being childish, for real. I love them, but I’m also happy to be here.”
Meyers joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent and played his first four seasons in New England, leading the team in receiving yards in 2020, 2021 and 2022. He and Smith-Schuster agreed to terms on three-year, $33 million contracts one day apart, but the deals are structured quite differently, with Smith-Schuster needing to earn $7.5 million of his money through incentives.
Smith-Schuster has been more productive and better after the catch in his career, while Meyers has been more durable and reliable and had a strong connection with quarterback Mac Jones. Meyers now will look to build a similar bond with Garoppolo, the former Patriots backup who was signed to replace Derek Carr in Vegas.
