FOXBOROUGH, Mass. _ Demaryius Thomas' desire to be with the Patriots was so strong that he refused to sign with any other team when the Pats released him on cut-down day. Two days later, the veteran receiver re-signed with the Patriots, but as it turns out, he regrets that decision.
Thomas' time in Foxboro didn't last long. Eight days after coming back to the Patriots, the team traded him to the New York Jets after they signed Antonio Brown. This week, Thomas blasted the Patriots, calling his time in New England a "waste of time" in an interview with the New York Daily News.
"It was insulting, for sure," Thomas told Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News Wednesday about the machinations of his exit from New England. "Once I got cut (on August 31), I could have just come here (to the Jets) and not stayed there and re-sign. When they re-signed me, I was thinking that I was good. Two weeks later, I was gone. So, it's like, 'Why did I waste my time?' Because at the end of the day, it was kind of a waste of time for me."
Thomas told the New York Daily news he felt disrespected for being told the Patriots would bring him back. He was excited to reunite with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who was the head coach of the Broncos when the receiver was draft. He said that McDaniels told him he was 'going to be OK' after being released the first time, but when Brown was released from the Oakland Raiders, Thomas felt like they kicked him to the curb.
"Coach (Belichick) came up to me and was like, 'Uh, we got too many guys. We can't get the ball around enough and we're going to trade you to the Jets,' " Thomas said. "And that was that ... . Ain't no reason to yell. They've won championships without me. I was only trying to be a part of something that was going to be good when I was there ... They're doing a hell of a job."
Asked about Thomas' comments, Belichick admitted what he told the receiver turned out to be untruthful _ even if that was never his intention.
"Demaryius is a great kid," Belichick said. "I have a ton of respect for him. He's very professional. Did everything we asked him to do. Our circumstances changed a couple times in that period leading up to when he was traded. I felt like I was always truthful with him, but things changed and therefore, what I said was not the same as what it was _ what I said previously. It is what it is."
Ultimately, this likely didn't work out for the Patriots as they hoped. They gave $9 million in guarantees to Brown, who didn't last two weeks before he was released due to a slew of controversy. With injuries to Josh Gordon (knee), Phillip Dorsett (hamstring) and Julian Edelman (chest), the Pats could've used the 31-year-old former Pro Bowler.
Last week, Thomas caught four passes for 62 yards in the Jets' 24-22 win over the Dallas Cowboys. He has eight catches for 109 yards in the last two games.
The Patriots will take on Thomas and the Jets next Monday night.
