Jakobi Meyers not thinking about his future, but speaks highly of his time with Patriots
FOXBORO -- Jakobi Meyers will be a free agent this offseason. All he'd say of that matter after Sunday's season-ending Patriots loss in Buffalo was that he hopes to be back in New England next season.
Meyers is one of the many New England free agents this offseason, and after four solid seasons with the Pats after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2019, he's in line for a nice raise with his next contract. Whether that comes from the Patriots or somewhere else is one of the big question marks surrounding the team this winter.
Asked again about his future Monday inside the Patriots locker room, the receiver didn't really say much. There will be a time and a place for that decision, and now isn't it.
"I haven't really gotten to that point yet. I've been kind of hurt all year so I'm excited to get healthy, get some rest, go see my family. After that, I'll figure out what's next for me," Meyers said Monday after cleaning out his locker.
Meyers did, however, reflect on his time with the Patriots. What he'll remember most isn't any of his 235 catches over the last four years, but the lessons he learned and the people he met inside the locker room.
"I could spend days talking about it. I learned a lot about myself; who I want to be. Met a lot of people I'll never forget," he said, singling out veteran captains Devin McCourty and Matthew Slater. "They really showed me the kind of man, the kind of father, the kind of friend I want to be in the future. Shoutout to the people I met being here. They helped be grow into a better person. I remember that more than the plays and anything else. The people I've come in contact with in that locker room, it's special."
He was particularly high on this year's receiving corps, and is disappointed that the group likely won't remain intact for next season. In addition to Meyers, Nelson Agholor is a free agent as well.
"I'm going to miss it," he said of the 2022 receiver room. "You never get the same team back, so I'm going to miss it a lot."
Meyers was limited to 14 games this season, and said the injuries he dealt with really tested him this season. His total receptions dipped a bit from last year, from a career-high 83 to 67, but Meyers caught a career-best six touchdowns. Half of those came in the final three weeks of the season.
"I got a lot of tests this year. Mental tests, physical tests," he explained. "I learned a lot."
Quarterback Mac Jones continually praised Meyers throughout the season, and Meyers returned the favor by being one of Jones' most reliable targets in the passing game. He also had plenty of praise for the quarterback on Monday, saying the second-year quarterback proved a lot throughout the team's struggles.
"He showed who he was as a person, not even as a football player. I know one of my memories from the year was seeing him out there while you hear someone chanting another quarterback's name (backup Bailey Zappe). That's tough to deal with, but he didn't really complain," Meyers said of Mac. "Put his chinstrap on and went out for the next play."
Now, no one knows where Meyers' next play will come. He reflected on the bittersweet nature of Monday afternoon; the sadness of cleaning out one's locker, but the joy it brought him to see everyone -- potentially for one last time.
"If you don't win the Super Bowl, you're going to end your season disappointed. It's bittersweet, because I'm happy to see everybody. If this is the last time, it's nice to see everybody," he said of clean-out day.
"It's kind of bad on the back, honestly," he added. "Just carrying everything and packing it all up. I'd rather be playing football."
