How Patriots Reportedly Felt Pursuing Jakobi Meyers, JuJu Smith-Schuster

The Patriots' decision to sign JuJu Smith-Schuster over Jakobi Meyers was revisited this week with the Patriots traveling to Las Vegas to play the Raiders, and a report released Saturday raised more red flags over Bill Belichick's wide receiver evaluations.

The New England head coach claimed in a news conference this week that re-signing Meyers was a priority but also told reporters, "Free agency is free agency."

Meyers signed a three-year, $33 million deal with the Raiders, and the Patriots signed Smith-Schuster to a contract that had the same years and maximum value. That prompted Meyers to make what he later called a "childish" joke, but it sent a clear message to the fifth-year wideout.

"They don't want me," Meyers told Raiders players and staffers before he signed with Las Vegas, according to Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald.

The details of each deal are different with Las Vegas allowing itself an out after one year, and Smith-Schuster's contract tied to incentives. But the process as to how the Patriots decided to sign the Pro Bowl wide receiver should raise concerns for fans.

"In the lead-up to free agency, the Pats had been split internally on whether to retain Meyers, their leading receiver for three straight seasons," Callahan wrote. "Sources believe front-office decision-makers sold Belichick on Smith-Schuster's yards after catch ability over what they had in Meyers. That, again, served as a surprise to outsiders, considering the Patriots weren't connected to Smith-Schuster in 2022 when he had also been a free agent."

"Bill was never a JuJu guy," a source told Callahan.

Smith-Schuster has yet to showcase that yards-after-catch ability through the first five weeks of the season with only 37 yards after catch heading into Week 6.

Belichick publicly has supported Smith-Schuster through his offseason knee injury and his early struggles. But the message of the team needing to "start over" might not just be on the field if Smith-Schuster doesn't show signs of improvement.

The sixth-year receiver was ruled out for this Sunday's matchup due to a concussion.