Subscribe
Follow Us
After turning in one of the worst losses of the 2024 NFL season against the Los Angeles Chargers, 40-7, it's clear the New England Patriots need to make some changes.
Now granted, it's not like the Patriots are going to turn it around in 2024, and if anything, another win would only take away having the number one pick in the 2024 NFL draft, but goodness, no one is benefitting from a 33 point beatdown from a conference rival, especially Drake Maye, who left the game with a hand injury.
Well, on New Year's Eve, that first shoe officially dropped, with the Patriots officially releasing Yannick Ngakoue to the open market after just over a month with the team.
What gives? Why did the Patriots decide to release the Pro Bowl rusher less than a week before the end of the season? Was it because of his crucial penalty in Week 16? Or because he still doesn't have a sack in red, white, and blue despite playing a little over 25 snaps per game? Well, on Wednesday, Mayo broke down what happened and why he's trying to help Ngakoue, not punish him.
“Just trying to give a veteran player an opportunity to catch on with a team that will be in the postseason,” Mayo told reporters. “I'll just say this about Yannick. He did a great job. He was great in the meeting rooms. He was great out there in the practice field. A veteran that brought a lot to the table, and wish him nothing but the best.”
If Ngakoue had become an absolute force of nature in Boston, picking up double-digit sacks in a half dozen games while playing well against both the run and the pass in Mayo's scheme, then yeah, keeping him around long-term and maybe even giving him an extension could have made all the sense in the world. But because he didn't do much of anything, it makes sense for the three-win team to cut base, as he could still latch on with a contender when it counts.
Jerod Mayo had high hopes for Yannick Ngakoue with Patriots
What's really disappointing about Ngakoue's run is just how excited Mayo was about bringing the former Raven to New England. Discussing the move last month, Mayo noted that he liked everything Ngakoue brought to the table, going so far as to suggest he could become a three-down player in NE.
“Yeah, smart individual. Let's start in the classroom. It's easy for him to pick up a lot of the things that we do. He's been around this league for a long time. He's fast, and he's explosive. Again, you don't want to put him in a bucket as a pass rusher,” Mayo mentioned. “He's very good at that, but he's one of those guys that can play on all three downs. Having that depth where the gap isn't huge from a talent perspective is good for everyone. There are some good, I guess, unintended consequences, good consequences that happen having a guy like that.”
Unfortunately for Mayo, Ngakoue didn't become a three-down player and will probably have to remain a rotational rusher on whichever team signs him next. Fortunately, if he balls out in his next destination, picking up multiple sacks in the playoffs, he should still have an NFL home in 2025.