Robert Ayers is the latest former player to say he butted heads with Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia. In 2018, Ayers was signed to a one-year deal by the Lions, but 24 hours later he was released. Ayers said he did respect Patricia, but the two didn't agree on some things, so it was decided it was the best the two went in a different direction.
“Let's just say me and the head coach didn't agree,” Ayers said in an interview with the Knoxville News Sentinel, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press “There were some things he wanted me to do that I didn't feel comfortable with. We just weren't on the same page and it didn't work out. He's a tremendous coach, a brilliant mind, there's a lot of things that was great about the Detroit Lions organization, but it was just something that we didn't agree on.”
Ayers didn't want to go more in detail about what things they didn't agree upon, but it was big enough that the two sides decided to go in a different direction a day later. Ayers did take place in one practice with the Lions, but didn't ever hit the field again. After the 2018 season, Patricia also wouldn't comment on what happened between the Lions and Ayers.
“I’m not going to get into the specifics of why he wasn’t here, why he didn’t make it here,” Quinn said after the 2018 season. “Different personnel decisions are different for each player, so I’m not really going to get into that one.”
Ayers hung up the cleats in July finishing his nine-year career with 34.5 sacks.
Follow Us
Subscribe