Jerod Mayo Puts Patriots Rookie on Chopping Block After Week 11 Disaster

Rookie wide receiver Javon Baker struggled on special teams in Sunday's loss to the Rams.
Los Angeles Rams v New England Patriots
Los Angeles Rams v New England Patriots / Maddie Meyer/GettyImages
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Patriots rookie wide receiver Javon Baker has had a frustrating rookie season. The former UCF Knights receiver had a lot of hype during the 2024 NFL Draft, but it hasn’t shown up on the football field.

Heading into the Patriots’ Week 11 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, Baker played 14 offensive and 26 special teams snaps. The 22-year-old wide receiver has yet to register a target in the passing game, but New England decided to use Baker on kick returns.

Baker picked up special teams duties in Week 8 against the New York Jets, where he recorded a 17-yard kick return.

The rookie wide receiver got another chance to handle kick return duties and showed a spark with his return, taking it back for 46 yards to open the game. But with his second return, Baker muffed it and only got 16 yards.

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo wasn’t happy with Baker’s performance, stating that the rookie “didn’t execute the way we all had hoped he would.”

“On the kick returns, he was back there on the first couple snaps and he didn’t execute the way we all had hoped he would,” Mayo said (h/t Sean T. McGuire of NESN).

“I know it was a big return, even on that big return it was one of those situations, ‘Is he coming out? Is he not coming out?'” the first-year head coach added. “And same thing with the second kickoff return.”

With all that being said, It will be interesting to see if Mayo gives Baker another chance on kick return duties or decides to go in another direction. For Baker’s sake, the hope is the former as he’s not getting little to no offensive snaps.

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