NFL Rumors: Lamar Jackson to Patriots buzz won’t go away

There is literally no chance of the New England Patriots bringing former MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson into the fold, yet rumors persist about that potentiality. This space is a big fan of that impossibility and still hopes it happens.

Jackson is the most electric player in the National Football league. Patrick Mahomes may be better, but no one has more excitement in his game than Jackson. The argument would be moot if the team had done what it should have in the 2018 draft and taken Jackson then. They passed.

The New England Patriots are almost completely devoid of excitement since Tom Brady left. adding Jackson would remedy that.

Yet, while it’s not going to happen, the possibility keeps cropping up in the media. Let’s take a look at the latest on Lamar to New England.

Lamar Jackson to the New England Patriots rumors persist

Lamar to New England won’t happen. One reason is he’d cost a hefty two first-round draft picks to acquire. Another major reason is salary. His $40M plus annual would necessitate moving a bunch of players.

It’s really not going to happen. It’s also questionable whether Patriots coaches even know how to use a dual-threat quarterback.

Yet, the rumors persist. One commentary came from a familiar source, former Patriots’ player Rob Ninkovich, who likes the idea.

Ninko said this on ESPN as reported by nbcsports.com,

"“If you’re the Patriots, and you go and you make an attempt to get Lamar, that changes everything. Absolutely everything,” Ninkovich said Friday on ESPN’s “Get Up!”. “And listen, I am a huge fan of Lamar’s style of game and what it puts on a defense, the stresses. And there’s needs and wants, OK?“A need is necessary for life. A want, it helps your quality of life. I don’t need Lamar here, but I sure as heck want to see Lamar running around with a New England Patriot on his helmet. Because if you see it out there, the Patriots instantly, instantly, become division favorites and, to me, get right back into that Super Bowl hunt.”"

Did he say “Super Bowl”? Indeed he did. These are strong supportive words for the move by a well-respected source.

New England Patriots linked elsewhere to Lamar

There are other inklings of the team’s possible interest in Jackson out there. The Patriots-obsessed New York Post had this to say in a column by Ryan Glasspiegel, citing ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler,

"“The Jets, if they strike out with Aaron Rodgers, certainly that’s not expected, but they could pivot.“And then you got some wild cards like Tennessee or New England. Teams that like to run the ball. You never know.”"

Fans of the move here in New England like that speculation but of course, media speculation is seldom worth the paper it’s printed on (do they still print papers?).

And while former Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson also likes the idea a lot, Boston’s Number One Patriots beat reporter Tom E. Curran doesn’t.

Here are excerpts from Tom’s comments from an article by Justin Leger on nbcsport.com,

"“I think we’re still hooked on the 2019 Lamar,” Curran said. “And we should be, because that was his first year as a starter. Had 36 touchdowns, seven picks, he ran for 1,205 yards. We’ve never seen anything like it…“If the Patriots are going to get in, they’re going to give him $ 40 million a year. He hasn’t finished either of the prior two seasons. He really hasn’t had any kind of season that compares to 2019 since then. He had 16 touchdowns and 13 picks two years ago. I don’t think he immediately turns your team into a Super Bowl contender any more than he did for Baltimore.”"

There are a few comments. Two former solid Patriots players think Lamar Jackson makes the team an instant contender. At least one very astute Patriots beat reporter doesn’t.

What’s the actual situation? The answer is who knows? Realistically, the New England Patriots aren’t going to trade for Lamar Jackson. It isn’t going to happen.

But if you’d like to have it materialize, any glimmer of hope is always nice to see.