How Patriots Players Reacted To Bill Belichick’s Comments

Jerod Mayo and New England Patriots players are ignoring the noise, including that which stemmed from former head coach Bill Belichick.

Belichick took a shot at his New England successor the day after Mayo said the Patriots have a “soft” football team. While Belichick’s comments made headlines outside of One Patriot Place, players including Deatrich Wise Jr., Kyle Dugger, Marte Mapu and Anfernee Jennings told reporters they didn’t hear them.

Others did. But they’re not putting much thought into it.

“I don’t think Bill means no harm,” Davon Godchaux told reporters at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday, per MassLive’s Mark Daniels. “I just think people took it the wrong way. Bill’s just answering a question that someone asked him. I think people took it the wrong way just like I think people took Jerod’s comments the wrong way about us being a soft football team.”

Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai toed the line and agreed with both his former and current head coach.

“Both of them are right,” Tavai said, per Daniels. “If you listen to Mayo’s whole quote, he talked about what he sees as a tough football team and it’s stopping the run, covering kicks — and we always talk about that. Understand what Bill’s talking about — none of these guys over here are soft. … I understand both sides of the story. It is what it is.”

Patriots players didn’t take Mayo’s “soft” comments like those outside the team did — or at least that’s what they’re saying. Drake Maye, Hunter Henry, Jonathan Jones, Dugger and others agreed the Patriots weren’t playing like a tough football team.

“I know Jerod doesn’t feel that way about us,” Godchaux said. “I think people took it the wrong way. Bill’s just being Bill. Bill wants the best for us. Jerod wants the best for us. We just got to get back to playing New England Patriot football. That’s the bottom line – no matter what anybody says.”

The 1-6 Patriots have the opportunity to put it behind them when they host the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.