It didn’t matter that the Patriots reportedly had the most money on the table for Brandon Aiyuk amid trade discussions this week, the wide receiver simply didn’t want to come to New England.
Once a franchise that many players longed to play for is now looked at differently ever since Tom Brady left in 2020. Since the quarterback’s departure, the Patriots have struggled to find a replacement and suffered some of their worst football the last few four years — including the worst under Bill Belichick in 2023.
But even with a new coach in Jerod Mayo and a new quarterback room, Aiyuk reportedly “showed no interest” in leaving the San Francisco 49ers for New England.
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Despite believing Aiyuk would be a good fit with the Patriots, FS1′s Colin Cowherd compared the six-time Super Bowl champions to the Chicago Bulls after Michael Jordan left the organization.
“To me, the Patriots are becoming the Chicago Bulls post-Jordan. It’s not just that the Bulls couldn’t win. They went from totally cool to the most uncool franchise in the league,” Cowherd said on Wednesday’s episode of “The Herd.” “… That’s what the Patriots have become with Brady. Brady was so great, he made you forget how badly the Patriots drafted the offensive side of the ball.”
Cowherd continued by saying that Brady helped people forget that the team still had issues. But because they had arguably the league’s best quarterback and were winning, whatever was wrong with the team wasn’t a major focus because Brady was that good. Players wanted to come to New England to play with Brady.
“They went from the smartest, most-efficient franchise to can’t figure out how to run the VCR in the 80s. They don’t even know what they’re doing,” he said. “It wasn’t just that Michael Jordan made the Bulls great, he made Chicago feel as big as New York.”
Reports surfaced that the Patriots offered Aiyuk, who’s seeking a contract extension as he enters the final year of his rookie deal, $30 million per year. The Patriots ended negotiations late Tuesday night after they were reportedly not liking the “vibes” they were getting from the wideout and his agent.
While 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is hopeful to come to a resolution that keeps Aiyuk in the Bay Area, he acknowledged that there is a “scenario for everything.”
