Bill Belichick Blasts "Taxachusetts" for Hurting Patriots in Free Agency

In his latest weekly appearance on the sometimes unhinged Pat McAfee Show, ex-New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick blamed one of the states where he keeps a residence, or two, for the problems his former team has had bringing in the NFL's top free agents.

Belichick, who owns multiple properties on the upscale Massachusetts island of Nantucket as well as a home in the town of Hingham, is certainly subject to the so-called "millionaire tax" that the Bay State implemented in 2023. Per the state, "personal income taxpayers, subject to chapter 62, must pay an additional 4% surtax on taxable income over $1,000,000, increased annually for inflation."

Speaking with McAfee, the 72-year-old NFL legend blamed the tax for the issues the Patriots have had in attracting top-tier free agents and getting impact players to consent to being traded to New England.

“That’s Taxachusetts," he said. "Virtually every player, even the practice squad, even the minimum players are pretty close to $1 million. Once you hit the $1 million threshold, you pay more state tax in Massachusetts. Just another thing you’ve got to contend with in negotiations up there. It’s not like Tennessee or Florida or Nevada. Some of these teams have no state income tax. You get hit pretty hard on that with the agents.”

While it may be a legitimate complaint, it seems a bit odd that Belichick is the one making it as the tax was only in play during his final year in charge in New England and the Patriots' struggles in free agency date back longer than that, really to when Tom Brady took his talents to Tampa Bay in 2020.

Since then, New England has truly only signed one Pro Bowl-caliber player in free agency, pass-rusher Matthew Judon, and he's now a member of the Atlanta Falcons following a trade a few weeks ago made by the current Patriots regime. When Brady left, the Patriot Way and the team's ability to attract attractive free agents went with him.

Speaking of the Patriot Way, Jacksonville coach Doug Pederson took a shot at that tired trope while praising former New England quarterback Mac Jones. A national champion in college with Alabama, Jones was traded to the Jaguars in March just three seasons after he was picked by Belichick in the first round of the NFL draft.

"Mac has played extremely well the last couple of weeks and really has bought into what we do," Pederson, who later downplayed his subtle shot at Belichick, said after Jacksonville's 31-0 beatdown of the Falcons. "He'll still revert back to his Patriot ways every now and then and we got to remind him he's in Jacksonville."

Jones, who will see his former team this season when the Patriots and Jaguars match up in London, is probably reminded he's in Duval County every time he cashes his paycheck — and doesn't see an additional 4% surtax.