Former New England Patriots running back Damien Harris lashed out at his former boss Bill Belichick.
Harris was selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Alabama by the Patriots’ then-head coach and de facto general manager.
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Harris enjoyed the final season of Tom Brady’s 20-year career with the Patriots in 2019 before the quarterback carousel took over.
Former NFL MVP Cam Newton was the first to follow in Brady’s footsteps before rookie Mac Jones was brought in from Alabama in 2021.
Jones led New England to a 10-7 record, being named a Pro Bowler in the process.
However, it went downhill from there as he and Bailey Zappe split time, leading a faltering offense to a 12-22 record over the next two seasons.
This offseason, Jones was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars to back up Trevor Lawrence, while Drake Maye was drafted in the first round out of North Carolina to take his place.
Meanwhile, Belichick’s 24-year tenure as boss also came to an end earlier this year, with former linebacker Jerod Mayo now in the hot seat.
“What happened to Mac Jones in New England wasn’t because of Mac Jones,” Harris said The Athletic Football Show.
Harris believed the reason for Jones’ decline was the decision to replace offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who left in 2022 to become the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, with Matt Patricia and Joe Judge.
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He cited Patricia’s background as a defensive coach and Judge’s as a special player as the reason for his difficulties.
Harris claimed that Belichick simply told them, “‘Hey, coach this kid. He’s a first-round pick, but as long as you teach him what I say, everything’s going to be fine.'”
He believed that Jones’ tenure with the Patriots “shouldn’t have [gone] the way it was.”
“The only reason this happened was because Bill Belichick, stuck in his ways, said, ‘As long as I’m here. As long as I’m, along with Robert Kraft, the head of this organization, no matter who, no matter where, in what position, where they train, whatever it is, we will be successful.'”
And supposedly it wasn’t just Harris who knew that the Patricia/Judge duo was doomed to fail.
When asked when they realized they were in trouble, he said they “knew during training camp.”
Harris also weighed in on Belichick’s failure to land another head coaching job this offseason.
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He admitted he wasn’t surprised, suggesting there may have been a difference in the type of control Belichick was accustomed to and therefore expected to have within a franchise compared to what teams would be willing to offer.
Now without an NFL coaching position for the first time since 1974, Belichick has turned to broadcasting for the upcoming season.
Along with weekly appearances on The Pat McAfee Show, Belichick is also scheduled to appear on ESPN’s alternative broadcast of Monday Night Football – The Manningcast.
There, he will provide knowledge and experience alongside hosts and former Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning.
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