As much as the NFL may seem like there’s an element of loyalty amongst players and teams, there’s more of a cut-throat nature to the game than lots of fans realize. Some players that are caught using PEDs have claimed that they did so to recover faster, knowing they may never play in the NFL again if they don’t. One injury, one muffed punt, one missed meeting can be the end of a lifelong dream.
While that hasn’t been the case for veteran wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, he certainly got a taste of the business-first mentality during his brief time with the New England Patriots.
Known to be a particularly cold-hearted organization, the Pats took on Thomas after a brief stop with the Houston Texans. It’s a move Pats fans are familiar with, as Brady has been known to resurrect the careers of wide receivers before. That’s not how the cards fell.
After being told that the Patriots had every intention of re-signing him after cutting him, Thomas didn’t bother exploring other options. The Patriots did bring him back, but eight days later he was traded to the Jets for a pick. The move was in response to the Antonio Brown signing – which did not work out at all – but many fans noted that it appeared Bill Belichick and the Pats successfully “used” Thomas to get a draft pick off the Jets.
The following is an excerpt from New York Daily News article written by Manish Mehta:
“It was insulting, for sure,” Thomas told the Daily News Wednesday in a candid discussion about his time in Foxborough. “Once I got cut (on August 31), I could have just come here (to the Jets) and not stayed there and re-sign. When they re-signed me, I was thinking that I was good. Two weeks later, I was gone. So, it’s like, ‘Why did I waste my time?’ Because at the end of the day, it was kind of a waste of time for me.”
“They took a chance to bring me in and helped me get healthy,” said Thomas, who was cut by the Texans in the offseason after suffering a torn Achilles in late December. “I always knew I was going to be able to still play… and it would have worked out because I was still learning their offense. Josh McDaniels drafted me. So, I felt like I was cool. But even having conversations with him and couple other people, it was like, ‘You’re going to be okay.’ Two weeks later, AB gets cut… and then they kicked me (to the curb) and shipped me out like I’m just a rookie.”
Mehta noted that Thomas was not speaking with anger in his life. It is certainly clear from the quotes that there is some irritation with how it was handled.
If there’s any benefit to come from this, the New England Patriots vs. New York Jets rivalry now has an extra spicy element to it.
