Before signing with the Las Vegas Raiders, Jakobi Meyers wanted to remain with the New England Patriots. However, Bill Belichick and the Patriots had a firm number they weren't willing to compromise on.

The veteran wide receiver said that the Patriots' offer to him was $1 million short of the contract he received from the Raiders; which was a three-year, $33 million deal with $21 million guarantees, via 98.5 The Sports Hub's Felger and Mazz. Meyers didn't confirm if the offer was short in guaranteed money or salary.

“They just wouldn’t budge. At the end of the day, [Bill Belichick] didn’t want to move,” Meyers said. “And I respected it. Like it is his job to do what’s best for his team or what he thinks is best for the team. It just didn’t align on what I felt like I was worth.”

Meyers later added that, “They wouldn't move” in terms of the Patriots' offer to him. Even though Meyers said earlier in the 2023 offseason he was hoping to remain in New England, he wasn't sure if he would've re-signed with the Patriots if they gave him the same offer that the Raiders did.

“I wouldn’t have mind staying. I don’t know, honestly,” Meyers said when asked if he would've accepted a similar offer from the Patriots. “I don’t — it would’ve been a different conversation. I probably would’ve thought about it a little different.

“But I did enjoy Boston. It was great. The guys there were really like family members to me. The receiver room, I still talk to Troy [Brown] all the time. That’s my guy. So it was definitely a sting when I left, but I understand the business side.”

What happened with the Patriots after Jakobi Meyers signed with the Raiders

Bill Belichick, Jakobi Meyers, Patriots

A day after Meyers agreed to terms on a deal with the Raiders, the Patriots agreed to terms with JuJu Smith-Schuster on a three-year, $25 million deal, prompting the former New England receiver to post “Cold world” on social media.

Meyers' social media post aged well, at least in his favor. He had another solid season in Las Vegas, recording 71 receptions for 806 and eight touchdowns. Smith-Schuster, meanwhile, had the worst season of his career. He recorded just 29 receptions for 260 yards and a touchdown in 11 games this past season.

Smith-Schuster dealt with an injury though throughout the year, and Meyers didn't seem to want to take any victory laps.

“JuJu, at the end of the day, he’s a man and I respect him. It had nothing to do with him,” Meyers said. “I think he’s a good player. I just think football caught up with him. I don’t know what his situation is, but it’s tough.”