Back in 2014, Marqise Lee entered the NFL with high hopes.
A second-round pick out of the University of Southern California, the wide receiver broke into the league with the Jacksonville Jaguars and played in 13 games during his rookie campaign, logging 37 catches for 422 yards and a touchdown.
After an injury-plagued 2015, Lee rebounded with a career year in 2016, hauling in 63 receptions for 851 yards and three scores. He appeared to be on track to have a successful NFL career.
However, during the 2018 preseason, Lee tore his ACL. Since then, he has played just nine games.
The 28-year-old joined the New England Patriots late last month after being cut by the Jaguars, and now, the wide out is hoping to get his career back on track. According to Mark Daniels of The Providence Journal, Lee said on Wednesday:
“For me, my biggest thing was I just knew the last couple of years I didn’t have the opportunity to do the things I needed to do as a player. I felt like me choosing New England to go there this season in a sense to try and get back to myself … I feel like this place is the perfect place to get back and try to get back to yourself … [The Patriots are] Very strict, basically all about football and handling your business. I feel like I was a little bit off on that point these last two injuries I had. I just want to get back on track and get everything on point. I felt like New England was the right place for me.”
Lee has only played one full 16-game campaign thus far in his NFL tenure, so the biggest thing for the Inglewood, California native will simply be staying healthy. And the disciplined Patriots halls in Foxborough might be the perfect place for him to do just that.