Meyers' Contract Proves Last Offseason Was About Respect

The Las Vegas Raiders restructured WR Jakobi Meyers' contract after one season with the team, proving that signing with the Raiders really was more about respect than money for the veteran receiver.

The Las Vegas Raiders recently restructured wide receiver Jakobi Meyers's contract. The veteran receiver signed with the Raiders last offseason for three seasons and $33 million after leading the New England Patriots in receiving for three consecutive seasons.

Shortly after the Raiders' 2023 season ended, Meyers admitted on 98.5 The Sports Hub's Felger & Mass Show that he signed with the Raiders because he felt more respected by their offer than the one the Patriots offered him. He acknowledged that the Patriots' offer wasn't that far off from the one he accepted with the Raiders, which made matters worse.

Former Patriots Coach Bill Belichick's refusal to offer Meyers just a bit more than the Patriots were offering made Meyers feel disrespected. Or, at the very least, it made the former leading Patriots' wide receiver feel undervalued in free agency. Rightfully so, he had just led the Patriots in receiving three seasons in a row with Mac Jones and Cam Newton as his quarterbacks.

Players are valuable, and they know it. With value comes a cost, and some teams in the National Football League are willing to pay it; some are not. The Patriots have not historically been known to overpay players of any stature, so some of it was business as usual for New England. However, the Patriots' miscalculation on Meyers became a productive free-agency signing for the Raiders. 

The free agency period is about respect. Teams can show players how much they are valued by how much they are willing to pay them, especially when a player is asking for a fair amount. Meyers was clearly asking for a fair amount, as his play this season proved. 

In his first season with the Raiders, Meyers proved he was worth every bit of the money the Raiders paid him. He finished his first season with 807 receiving yards and 71 receptions, averaging over 11 yards per catch. This past season, Meyers was an excellent complement to All-Pro receiver Davante Adams.

Still, even after living up to the contract he signed in his first season with the team, Meyers recently agreed to restructure his contract, freeing up over $4 million for the Raiders. His willingness to do so proves last offseason was about respect, not money.

The Raiders showed how much they respected Meyers and his skill set by paying slightly more than the Patriots' offer. After signing with the Raiders for just a bit more than the Patriots offered, he is now restructuring his contract to help free up cap space for the team, even after living up to his contract. Meyers proved last season was about respect and not about the money. 

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

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