Jakobi Meyers: ‘You could tell things would go bad’ for Mac Jones in 2023
"I hate to see it for him, I really do."
Jakobi Meyers’ decision to leave Foxborough in free agency last March proved to be the right move for the gifted receiver.
While New England’s offense imploded during the 2023 season en route to a 4-13 record, Meyers put together one of the best seasons of his career with the Raiders.
After signing a three-year deal in Las Vegas, Meyers caught 71 passes for 807 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns in 2023.
New England opted to sign JuJu Smith-Schuster to replace Meyers as the team’s top slot receiver. And even though both Meyers and Smith-Schuster inked similar three-year deals, Smith-Schuster only reeled in 29 catches for 260 yards and one touchdown in New England.
Without Meyers, New England’s offense collapsed — ultimately finishing in a tie for last place in the NFL in scoring at 13.9 points per game.
After earning a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie, quarterback Mac Jones found himself planted on the bench by late November — with Bailey Zappe making the final six starts of the 2023 season.
And even though Bill Belichick — who reportedly stopped speaking to Jones after his benching — is no longer patrolling the sidelines in Foxborough, the writing is on the wall that Jones’ time with the Patriots has likely reached its end.
For Meyers, who built a strong rapport with Jones during their two years together, the QB’s sharp decline after a strong 2021 season stands as a tough look for the Patriots.
“Honestly, man, I really don’t like it,” Meyers told NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry in Las Vegas about Jones’ plummet down the depth chart. “And this isn’t a knock on Zap (Bailey Zappe), because Zap is a dog too. I like my boy, I’m happy he’s doing well too. But man, how that went down with Mac, I kind of watched it all unfold the last couple of years and I feel like you could’ve seen it a couple years ago and tell that it would end up bad.
“I don’t like singling people out, but I think they had to meet him a little bit more. ‘Cause I know he’s in the building working. I can’t name too many people working harder than him. I hate to see it for him, I really do.”
Of course, Jones is not without fault for his current situation in New England. Jones’ lapses in execution — especially during red-zone situations — led to 12 interceptions in his 12 games played in 2023.
But Meyers believes that Jones wasn’t exactly given a lot of of support in New England after that rookie season.
Not only did Belichick and the Patriots hand Jones three different offensive coordinators over his three seasons, but a dearth of proven playmakers and a porous offensive line routinely hampered Jones’ ability to string together promising drives out on the gridiron.
“Yeah, to help him. Like talent, coaching, you name it,” Meyers said when Perry asked him to clarify if the Patriots should have given Jones more talent to work with. “Just putting him in a better position to win I think would’ve helped their program a lot.”
Even though Meyers established himself as Jones’ go-to receiving option in both 2021 and 2022, he wasn’t going to admit that his exit last March played a major role in Jones’ dip in play.
“I don’t know if I’m that powerful, but I promise you I probably would have done my best to help because I understand the stress that comes with playing that position,” Meyers said. “That position for that team and that city too at the same time, I know it’s tough. I can guarantee that I would’ve done my best to help, but I also know the guys in that room were trying their best to help him too. It’s just a tough situation for him.”
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