Jets' Wide Receiver Target Posts Discouraging Message To Instagram

He looks to be pretty much off the market...

Aug 12, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Jets helmet on the sidelines against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The New York Jets were positioned nicely in the sweepstakes for a valuable free agent receiver … until suddenly they weren’t.

The Jets aren't deep at wideout right now, and they'll want to acquire one or two receivers in free agency so that they aren’t pressured to draft at the position.

Recently, Detroit Lions free agent WR Tim Patrick was thought of as a viable Jets target due to his affordable projected $1.7 million per year market value (Spotrac) and his ties to Aaron Glenn.

The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt even posted to X this week about the Jets still being in the running for Patrick.

“I still think there's a decent shot the Jets land Tim Patrick but as of yesterday there were multiple teams trying to sign him,” Rosenblatt wrote on Tuesday morning.

Well, it turns out the Jets and those “multiple teams” referred to by Rosenblatt might be out of luck.

On Thursday, Patrick posted an Instagram story depicting the back of a jacket emblazoned with the text, “I only want to work with the Lions.”

It was Patrick’s way of signaling his wishes in free agency. 

The 31-year-old has only been with Detroit since last season, but it appears he wants to stay put. That makes sense considering the Lions are a winning organization right now and Patrick has done his fair share of moving around already in his career. He was snagged by the Baltimore Ravens in 2017 after going undrafted, joined the San Francisco 49ers in the same year, and then played for the Denver Broncos between 2017 and 2023 before his Lions stint last season.

At six-foot-four, 212 pounds, Patrick is a big target at wideout who’s tallied 176 receptions, 2,403 receiving yards, and 15 receiving touchdowns in his career thus far.

Unless something unexpected comes to pass, all signs point to Patrick re-signing with the Lions, leaving the Jets with one less option to choose from at receiver.

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