Sony Michel’s career in New England was pure disappointment, probably as much so for the running back as it was for the Patriots. There really is no other way to look at it.
The former Georgia star arrived as a first-round pick in 2018, seen as the perfect playmaking backfield fit for the then-Tom Brady-led New England attack. Michel had proven himself in the SEC and on the biggest stage in the college football playoffs. The two-time Bulldogs team captain had a pair of 1,100-yard college seasons, averaged 6.1 yards per carry for his career and scored 33 rushing touchdowns, including 16 in his final season.
He brought a bright future and a bright smile with him to Gillette Stadium.
But it never panned out and three relatively disappointing seasons later Michel was traded to the running back-needy Rams in exchange for what could turn out to be a fourth-round pick.
History will show that Michel played in 38 games in New England with 28 starts. That he piled up 535 carries for 2,292 yards (4.3 avg.) with 14 touchdowns, including a pair of 900-yard campaigns to open his career.
He also helped the Patriots run through the 2018 postseason, following Pro Bowl fullback James Develin and a dominant offensive line to a glorious 336 yards rushing and six touchdowns on the way to a Lombardi Trophy, including the only touchdown in the Super Bowl LIII win over the Rams.
Michel even turned in impressive production in what turned out to be his final month in a Patriots uniform last December when he finished and maximized runs like he hadn’t really before with three straight games of 69 yards or more and a 4.8-yard average or better.
So it’s not like there weren’t any good times for Michel in a Patriots uniform. There just weren’t enough.
Not enough good games. Not enough good runs. Not enough production from a former first-round pick.
Clearly Bill Belichick and Co. wanted more from Michel and were left disappointed.
In turn, Michel had to have been disappointed in how his career petered out as a Patriot, especially after his rookie season.
He was probably disappointed when he lost the lead-back role to Damien Harris last October when he landed on IR, one of a handful of stretches when he missed time to injury during his three New England seasons.
He was probably disappointed again this spring when in a course of a couple weeks, New England invested a fourth-round pick in Oklahoma running back Rhamondre Stevenson and then declined to pick up the fifth-year option on Michel’s rookie contract. The writing was on the wall.
Along the way, the Patriots had to be disappointed that Michel choose to stay away from voluntary OTA workouts this spring with his career seemingly coming to a crossroads in Foxborough. While he was away, Belichick was clearly impressed with how Harris approached his new role and opportunities as the certified top dog on the running back depth chart.
Maybe things could have been different. Maybe they could have been better. Maybe Michel will find what he’s looking for in his new home in Sean McVay’s offense with the Rams.
Regardless, Michel’s career in New England is now over. And there is no other way to describe it than as a disappointment for everyone involved.