Add the Patriots to the growing list of teams that are publicly out on Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson this offseason.
In the wake of Lamar Jackson’s bombshell letter detailing his three-week-old trade request from early March, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick isn’t taking the bait.
Belichick was asked whether he would pursue the Baltimore Ravens quarterback this offseason and curtly responded, “I’m not going to talk about players on another team.”
When told that Jackson was a free agent (which he technically isn’t, he’s on the non-exclusive franchise tag), Belichick had no response.
With Lamar out of the equation, the Patriots will turn their attention to their two quarterbacks gunning for the starting job in 2023, Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.
Belichick said in his typical vague and unrevealing statements that he plans on playing “the best players” next season without saying much on the developing quarterback competition between Jones and Zappe.
Belichick and the Patriots are not going after Lamar Jackson
Acquiring Jackson didn’t seem like something Belichick would consider, anyway, and Jackson’s dual-threat abilities may get dulled down in the Patriots’ struggling offense.
New England has already made a few significant changes by bringing back Bill O’Brien and signing ex-Chiefs wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster as their potential top deep threat.
The Patriots’ offseason moves nonetheless pale in comparison to their AFC East rivals as the Jets prepare for Aaron Rodgers’ arrival and the Dolphins secured key defensive pieces earlier this year. A potential quarterback quartet of Rodgers, Josh Allen, Tua Tagovailoa, and Lamar Jackson in that division would have been an otherworldly spectacle to behold, but alas, the Patriots don’t have “Signing a high-profile quarterback” on their priority list.
Instead, it appears as though Belichick is satisfied with his quarterback room of Jones and Zappe, each of whom will look to make strides in their improvement in 2023.
Jones threw 14 touchdowns against 11 interceptions and failed to eclipse the 3,000-yard mark last season; Zappe, on the other hand, won the two games he started in and could pose as a worthy passer to take over the throne if Jones continues to regress.
No Jackson drama for New England this offseason — just the expected Jones-Zappe rat race that could start to get a little feisty come training camp.
