Lamar Jackson Wants to Play Quarterback for the New England Patriots

There’s nothing like a nice offseason shakeup from the NFL owner’s meetings, amirite?

When speaking to reporters in Arizona on Monday, Patriots owner Robert Kraft answered plenty of questions about head coach Bill Belichick, quarterback Mac Jones, and the overall direction of his franchise. Many of the responses were expected.

One comment, however, stuck out among the rest.

According to several reporters, notably Albert Breer and Karen Guregian, Kraft told the crowd that rapper and friend Meek Mill texted him recently that quarterback Lamar Jackson wants to play for the Patriots. Kraft followed this up by saying it would be up to Bill Belichick to decide if the team wants to go after the potential franchise changer.

Here. We. Go.

Jackson has had quite an offseason for himself. He was franchised tagged by the Ravens earlier this month with an “exclusive tag”, meaning he can negotiate with other teams and Baltimore would have the chance to match. On Monday, however, he tweeted that as of March 2nd, he has requested a trade from the Ravens as they have “not been interested in meeting his value”. Here’s Jackson’ full statement:

A letter to my Fans I want to first thank you all for all of the love and support you consistently show towards me. All of you are amazing and I appreciate y’all so much. I want you all to know not to believe everything you read about me. Let me personally answer your questions in regards to my future plans.

As of March 2nd I requested a trade from the Ravens organization for which the Ravens has not been interested in meeting my value, any and everyone that’s has met me or been around me know I love the game of football and my dream is to help a team win the super bowl. You all are great but I had to make a business decision that was best for my family and I.

No matter how far I go or where my career takes me, I’ll continue to be close to my fans of Baltimore Flock nation and the entire State of Maryland. You’ll See me again. Truzzzzz.

Jackson is a former MVP, a former first-team All-Pro quarterback, and has two 1,000+ yard rushing seasons on his resume. He’s also struggled to stay healthy and would command a hefty payday if traded for.

While Kraft floated the idea of Jackson becoming a Patriot, he also seemed to support their current quarterback in Mac Jones during his press availability. He told reporters that, “we’ve made changes that have put [Mac Jones] in a position to excel.” Kraft added that Jones has been in the facility almost every day this offseason.

At the end of the day, whoever is under center for New England this September will have a much-improved roster and coaching staff around them compared to a season ago.

And while Mac Jones is likely the one that it will be, it certainly would be exciting to have a top-five caliber quarterback in Jackson playing football in Foxboro in 2023.

Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @PatriotsCLNS for the latest up-to-date Patriots news!

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Mike Kadlick

Mike is a Patriots reporter with experience in radio, podcasting, and writing. Follow him on Twitter @mikekadlick.