Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots surprised a lot of people Friday evening when they moved Jake Bailey and Jack Jones from injured reserve to the suspended list, including the punter.

Bailey's agent, Doug Hendrickson, said in a statement on Saturday that he was “surprised” to learn about the suspension given Bailey's “full participation” while he was out with a back injury and on injured reserve.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick was asked following his team's season-ending loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday if he agreed with Hendrickson's statement.

“No,” Belichick promptly replied.

The response opened up a can of worms for a few more follow-ups on the situation.

“He’s not eligible to play,” Belichick said when asked to elaborate more on the punishment.

Bailey, who was placed on injured reserve on Nov. 19, returned to practice on Dec. 21, opening up a 21-day window for him to either be activated or remain on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. Even though Bailey was moved to the suspended list retroactive to Dec. 31, Belichick insisted that the punter couldn't return this season because of the injured reserve eligibility rules.

“He was on designated for return and he wasn’t able to play,” Belichick said. “So, the suspension is a whole ‘nother thing. But he wasn’t able to come back.”

So, was Bailey wasn't unavailable because of the suspension?

“He was unavailable. That’s the bottom line,” Belichick said.

“He was unavailable.”

Belichick's insistence that Bailey wasn't eligible to return because his activation window expired adds another layer to the intriguing story. In the same statement on Saturday, Bailey's agent said that they filed a grievance. Bailey, who signed a four-year, $13.5 million extension in August that made him one of the game's richest punters, could lose the guaranteed money from his contract, which carries a $3.415 million cap hit in 2023, due to the suspension.

Bailey struggled for much of the season, averaging 42.1 yards per punt, which was the lowest in the league entering Week 11. But the Patriots struggled in the punting game on Sunday, too. Michael Palardy averaged just 40.1 yards per punt on four punts in Sunday's game.