The New England Patriots have exceeded expectations and their success made them a team to watch ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. At 7-2 and riding the momentum of a six-game winning streak, many thought the Patriots needed one more move to tie it all together – especially if that move came at receiver.
With Stefon Diggs and an anonymous cast leading the way, the Patriots were assumed to go after a big-name receiver at the deadline and many fixated on former New England receiver Jakobi Meyers.
Meyers would have made sense for the Patriots if they decided to pull the trigger. But according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, they were beaten to the punch by the Jacksonville Jaguars, who gave up a 2026 fourth- and sixth-round pick to acquire Meyers on Tuesday morning.
The deal will result in some disappointment for those hoping for a reunion, but it also was a sign of the Jaguars saving the Patriots from a big mistake.
Patriots Dodge a Bullet After Jaguars’ Costly Trade for Jakobi Meyers
The Patriots could have used Meyers lining up across from Diggs to fuel Drake Maye’s emergence in his second season at quarterback. But it also would have come at a cost that turns out to be an egregious overpay by the Jaguars.
Consider what Meyers’s former teammate, Devante Adams, went for in a trade between the Raiders and New York Jets last year. With Adams nursing a hamstring injury, the Raiders were able to pick up a third-round pick for a player that has been significantly better than Meyers throughout his career.
Just this past offseason, recent All-Pro Deebo Samuel only fetched a fifth-rounder in a deal between the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Commanders as well. Both Adams and Samuel had flaws that cut into their value, but the point is there's talented WRs almost always available, so New England didn't need to overpay just to acquire Meyers.
It’s also worth noting that Meyers’s contract issues still haven’t been resolved. Spotrac does not have a market value projection for Meyers heading into free agency but Over The Cap has given Meyers an $18 million valuation of his performance this year, which could lead to a lucrative contract either by the end of this season or when he reaches the market in the spring.
Meyers hasn’t had the same success he saw one year ago, catching 33 passes for 352 yards and no touchdowns in his first seven games of 2025. While part of that may be playing with an erratic quarterback in Geno Smith, it’s also put a large dent in his efficiency, seeing his yards per route run (1.45) drop to its lowest clip since his rookie season in 2019 (1.32) according to Pro Football Focus.
While the Patriots have nine picks available in the 2026 draft, they could be important moving forward as Mike Vrabel’s rebuild is ahead of schedule. New England also could have afforded a contract extension for Meyers with $52.3 million in cap space heading into next offseason.
But at age 30, the Jaguars may have driven the price high enough for New England to bow out, saving them from a move that could've backfired and instead allowing the Patriots to hunt a bigger fish.