Quarterback continuity will be big for Jakobi Meyers in 2022

Related: Patriots place second-round tender on restricted free agent Jakobi Meyers

When Jakobi Meyers entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2019, Tom Brady was still the New England Patriots’ quarterback. The duo showed some encouraging chemistry during Meyers’ rookie campaign, but Brady’s departure the following offseason put an end to the promising connection.

Meyers began his second season in the system as a depth receiver, but eventually developed into new starting QB Cam Newton’s favorite target as well as the most reliable pass catcher on New England’s roster. However, the Meyers-Newton pairing was also not meant to last.

While Newton was re-signed in 2021, he eventually lost the ensuing quarterback competition to first-round rookie Mac Jones. And so, Meyers had to get used to playing with his third passer in three seasons in the league.

Heading into 2022, however, there will finally be some continuity: Jones is locked in as New England’s QB1 and the pair seems poised to build off of a productive first year together.

Meyers said so himself during a recent appearance on Sirius XM NFL Radio.

“I feel like the first year was setting the foundation,” he told hosts Bob Papa and Charlie Weis (transcript via ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss). “We had a lot of learning experience about each other. This will be the first time I get to go back in with the same quarterback. I’m excited about the opportunity to keep growing with him.”

Despite Jones spending virtually all of training camp as the second-string passer behind Cam Newton, he built a quick rapport with Meyers after the Patriots handed him the keys to their offense. The young quarterback and the third-year wideout ended up connecting 88 times for 895 yards and a touchdown.

No other receiver on the Patriots’ roster saw as many targets as Meyers in 2022. The team therefore made sure to keep the connection alive heading into the new season.

A restricted free agent, the 25-year-old was tendered at the second-round level. While he has yet to sign the offer sheet — essentially a one-year contract worth $3.99 million — the expectation is that Meyers will do that sooner rather than later, ensuring he and Jones will get an opportunity to build on a productive first season together.

For Meyers, the ability to do that will be big: for the first time in his professional career, he will be catching passes from the same starting quarterback in back-to-back seasons.