Patriots Star Predicted to Command $16.5 Million Per Year on New Deal

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Will Jakobi Meyers sign an extension with the New England Patriots? Bill Belichick and Co. have a dilemma, and the spotlight will be on their decision during the upcoming bye week.

Meyers has slowly transformed himself into one of the better slot receivers in the league. He is on pace to lead the Patriots in receptions for the third consecutive year, and he’s due to be a free agent at the end of the season.

The Patriots could try to keep him from hitting the open market by signing him to an extension as early as this week while the team is on a bye. According to Patriots cap expert Miguel Benzan, if Belichick and Co. elect to offer Meyers an extension, they probably need to be ready to pitch him a deal worth $16.5 million per year annually.

Benzan outlined the terms of what that contract could look like with two options:

That’s a hefty price down the line for Meyers, though he would only make $5 million next season, which seems feasible. The $9 million in 2024 even seems like something the Patriots might be willing to do if Meyers continues to improve. However, based on these terms, it seems almost impossible for the Patriots to keep him on the roster beyond that season at these terms.

We’ll soon see how it all shakes out.

On This Day in Patriots History: Nov. 6, 1972

A really bad Baltimore Colts squad (2-6) knocked off an even worse Patriots team 24-17 at Schaefer Stadium, the old home to New England’s football franchise.

The Patriots, who were led by the massively overrated Jim Plunkett (he threw 8 TD passes and 25 interceptions that year, were down 17-3 in the third quarter before they launched a furious comeback in the second half.

Touchdown runs from Plunkett (who was picked off twice in the game), and Carl Garrett trimmed the lead to 24-17, but New England would get no closer. The loss was the Patriots’ fifth in a row, and the defeat fell in the middle of a woeful nine-game losing streak.

New England finished the season 3-11 that year. That was terrible, but their futility put them in a position to draft future Hall-of-Famer John Hannah, No. 4 overall in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft.

Here is a Look at the Rest of the Patriots’ Schedule

The Patriots head into the bye week following their Week 9 battle against the Colts. Like many teams, New England could use the week off to get healthier and to also brush up on some areas offensively as they head toward the back end of their schedule.

When they return, they will face an irritated and revenge-hungry New York Jets team likely still smarting from the narrow loss to their rivals in Week 8. Jets quarterback Zach Wilson all but circled this game on the schedule with his postgame comments following his team’s loss to the Patriots.

Wilson didn’t play well, and his struggles caused a great deal of criticism of his game and even his ceiling as an NFL quarterback. The Jets have a strong defense, as they were able to force Jones into a rather mediocre showing as well.

The rematch should be interesting, especially with the Patriots getting back some of the players they lost to injury over the past few months. Here is a look at what’s left of the Patriots’ schedule.