Patriots reportedly hiring Tiquan Underwood as assistant wide receiver coach

FOXBORO -- While most football fans were watching the Super Bowl on Sunday night, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo was apparently building out his staff in New England.  

The Patriots are reportedly hiring former wide receiver Tiquan Underwood as assistant wide receivers coach, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB. Underwood played nine seasons of pro ball in the NFL and the Canadian Football League, and spent the 2011 season in New England, where he was teammates with Mayo. 

While Underwood only caught three passes for the Patriots, he had a pretty eventful lone season with the team. Late in the season, he was on the receiving end of a tongue lashing from Tom Brady on the sideline during a 34-27 win over Washington, which prompted a fiery shouting match between Brady and then offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien. In the playoffs, Underwood was famously cut by New England the night before the Pats lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI.

Underwood also played for the Jaguars and Buccaneers during his NFL career. The 36-year-old has been coaching since 2018 when he got his start as the wide receivers coach at Lafayette. He has since served as an offensive quality coach for the Miami Dolphins (2019), the wide receivers coach at his alma mater, Rutgers (2020-21), and the wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator at Pittsburgh (2022-23). 

It's unclear who Underwood will be coaching under with the Patriots. Troy Brown was New England's receivers coach last season, but it hasn't been confirmed if he'll be returning to Mayo's staff in 2024.