Belichick Reveals Patriots Pursuit of Ravens' Lamar Jackson Last Offseason
The New England Patriots have had quite the miserable 2023 season. But it could have been a very different story.
Last March, the Baltimore Ravens and star quarterback Lamar Jackson were in a nasty contract dispute after they used the non-exclusive franchise tag on him with no long-term deal near. The Patriots were one of several teams linked to the former MVP, who they passed on twice in the 2018 NFL Draft. But they apparently never made a formal contract offer, nor did any other team.
This is despite rapper Meek Mill reportedly telling Patriots owner Robert Kraft that Jackson wanted to play in New England.
The Ravens eventually signed Jackson to a massive extension, and lo and behold, he is now the runaway favorite to win his second MVP award as he has led Baltimore to the AFC's top seed.
When asked why the Patriots didn't make more of an effort to sign Jackson, coach Bill Belichick gave an uncharacteristically in-depth answer.
Bill Belichick, Lamar Jackson
“There’s a lot of things that go on in the offseason,” Belichick said Tuesday on WEEI's The Greg Hill Show. “Each player has his own story. But, look, in Lamar’s case … there was a lot of, I would say, there would have been a lot of moving parts on that one anyway.
"But you know, I’ll discuss the players that are on the team, not the ones that aren’t on it. I mean, there’s a lot of players out there that were available. They’re always available during the offseason. We talked to some of the players, some of the agents and all that. But those are all … those conversations are on a whole other level. So, stick to the guys that are here.”
It wouldn't have been surprising to just hear Belichick say "stick to the guys that are here" and move on, but he didn't.
As great as Jackson has been this season, though, it's uncertain if he would've played to the same level in New England. The Ravens have much more talent on offense than the Patriots, particularly at offensive line and receiver, which would've undoubtedly affected his performance. Quarterback has certainly been a problem for New England this season, but it is far from the only problem.
With the season almost over, the Jackson to New England rumors are little more than a fun "What If" scenario at this point.
