It’s been well documented how dysfunctional the Patriots’ offense was last season. Matt Patricia and Joe Judge are no longer in charge of it as a result, with Bill Belichick bringing in a much more experienced offensive coach in Bill O’Brien to clean up the mess.
But while Belichick’s actions serve as an acknowledgement that his “experiment” -- to use Robert Kraft’s word -- failed, it seems Belichick might still have a problem with players who questioned that experiment during the season.
There have multiple reports that Belichick was unhappy about quarterback Mac Jones seeking advice from outside the organization. Appearing on WEEI’s “Jones & Mego” on Friday, Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston said he heard again just this week that Belichick is “still pissed about it.”
Listen to the full interview with Tom E. Curran:
And it seems that Jones wasn’t the only quarterback who questioned the offensive program, and wasn’t the only quarterback who drew the ire of Belichick for doing so. Curran added that veteran backup Brian Hoyer also spoke out against how things were being run, and suggested that may have been the main factor in the Patriots releasing Hoyer this offseason.
“Brian Hoyer’s not here anymore,” Curran said. “He was guaranteed 1.4 of his $2 million contract. The Patriots released him and made it clear, ‘We’re moving on because it’s your head.’ (Hoyer missed time last season with a concussion.) He had been cleared for a long time. He anticipated being back.
“Brian Hoyer was not sold on what was going on last year, and I think he let that be known, that Mac was up against it on a weekly basis. And I think that’s a large portion of why Hoyer’s not here. The Patriots would tell you otherwise, but they’re paying him $1.4 million to not be here and not be part of the system. Even through training camp, release him in August -- you could use him for this offseason. Nope. Thanks. We’re all set with you. It’s interesting.”
It sure is. It seems that Belichick knows he got it wrong on offense last season, but that he didn’t appreciate players challenging Patricia and Judge and trying to do something about it during the season.
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