Brandon Aiyuk has decided against the New England Patriots. Head coach Jerod Mayo takes it sportingly

How much appeal have the New England Patriots lost in recent years?

Apparently so much that Brandon Aiyuk had no desire to relocate from San Francisco to Foxboro. Which is almost certainly not due to the weather, but to the current rather bleak sporting prospects for the former NFL dominators.

The two teams had already agreed on the terms of a trade. However, Aiyuk did not want to sign a contract extension with the Patriots.

The receiver is entering the final year of his contract with the 49ers and not only wants a long-term extension to his contract, but also a suitably remunerated one.

According to reports, the Patriots’ offer was in line with the market. Which leads to the conclusion that it is the Pats’ athletic situation that led to the receiver’s decision. The Pats have been mediocre at best since the end of the Tom Brady era. In 2023, they even ended up with a 4-13 record.

Patriots coach Jerod Mayo takes this in a sporting sense and as an incentive to quickly become an attractive stop again.

“When we start winning games, guys are going to want to come here,” Mayo said. “If we establish the culture and the squad, guys will be excited.” For now, at least, they’re not.