NFL Rumors: How Patriots Really Feel About Matt Patricia’s Eagles Impact

Matt Patricia now works for the Eagles. With his wealth of Patriots knowledge, he could make a big difference in Sunday's game, right?

Lol, nah.

That's not our answer; rather, it's the apparent response from people behind the scenes in New England, according to Boston Sports Journal's Greg Bedard.

Check out this excerpt from his story published Tuesday:

If you think Matt Patricia being in the Eagles coaching box in Sunday's opener is concerning to the Patriots because of his one year as offensive coordinator and close working relationship with Mac Jones, think again.

"Yeah, right," said one team source, laughing. "I'm sure he has all the Mac cheat codes and all that. Sure.

"Yeah, no one's worried about that."

Patricia first worked for New England from 2004 through 2017, spending the final six seasons as defensive coordinator. After a failed 2.5-season stint as head coach of the Detroit Lions, he returned to the Patriots in 2021 as a "senior football advisor" before serving as offensive coordinator in 2022 -- and we all know how that went.

The 48-year-old now is a senior defensive assistant in Philadelphia, making him an interesting sidebar for Sunday's huge matchup in New England. And, publicly, people on both sides are saying positive things about Patricia.

Eagles head coach Nick Siriani on Wednesday said Patricia has helped provide valuable intel on Bill Belichick's coaching strategies. On Monday, Belichick downplayed the Patricia storyline but heaped praise on his longtime friend. Even Mac Jones on Tuesday said he "really enjoyed" working with a coach whom he regularly lashed out at.

But the sourced reporting tells a different story.

"I doubt it will help much," a Patriots source told the Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan when asked about Patricia's knowledge of his former team.

With all that said, it's hard to imagine Patricia not making at least some positive impact on his new employer this weekend. Perhaps he'll help more in helping the Eagles know how Belichick would defend Jalen Hurts, rather than offering intel on how to defend Jones.

But will he be a true difference-maker? Probably not.