When the Patriots released wide receiver Demaryius Thomas in August, they told him their plan was to bring him back with a role in mind for the regular season.
The Patriots did bring Thomas back, but traded him to the Jets a week later in order to make room for Antonio Brown. Thomas said this week that he thought it was “insulting” for things to play out that way based on what head coach Bill Belichick had told him earlier in his time with the team.
At a Wednesday press conference, Belichick was asked about Thomas’s comments.
“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 had said previously. It is what it is,” Belichick said, via Michael Hurley of WBZ.
Thomas felt like the Patriots “shipped me out like I’m just a rookie,” but sudden changes in circumstances because of things outside of your control is an unfortunate reality of life for NFL players.