Jakobi Meyers had a lot to say about former teammate

Several storylines surround the Patriots as they prepare for their week nine matchup with the Colts this Sunday. One of the more prominent topics from the media has been the return of a  former Patriot to Foxboro for the first time since he was traded last season.

Signing with Indianapolis this past offseason, Stephon Gilmore is set to square off with his former team once again this weekend. Although he has faced the Patriots since his trade to the Panthers, Sunday’s game will be his first return to Gillette since he suited up in New England colors.

With so many questions regarding Gilmore’s stance with the team and his trade, focusing on his presence on the field became a hot topic throughout the week. Having been teammates with Gilmore for a season in 2019 and spending that year practicing against him, the media showed the most intrigue with Jakobi Meyers, asking for his thoughts on playing the former DPOY this weekend.

"“Steph is honestly one of my favorite players. Like when I first got to the league, just watching film on him and just how he played, man. He’s a great player. I hate that he went through injury and everything that happened and that we don’t have him anymore, but I’m going to have fun going against him.”"

Besides studying Gilmore’s film, Meyers had the opportunity to practice against him throughout the 2019 season. The ability to learn from one of the best at his position certainly benefited Meyers early on in his career, especially at the time as he was working on establishing himself and carving out a role on the Patriots.

Three seasons later, Meyers is in a much different position with the team than he was then. He’s earned his way atop the receiving chart and has become the most dependable receiver for all Patriots’ quarterbacks to throw to over the last few seasons.

Going into another must-win game as the Colts come to town, Meyers has another chance to play against his former teammate. Although the two generally play in different areas on the field, Meyers in the slot and Gilmore on the outside, it’s possible Meyers could get some more work in against the impressive cornerback.

"“I really enjoy going against great players and guys I look up to. It’s like the A.I. (Allen Iverson)-(Michael) Jordan thing — I’m not saying either one of us compare to (that), you know what I mean? But everybody wants to go against somebody that they respect, so you can kind of earn their respect back. I’m looking forward to it.”"

The Patriots have a challenging game ahead of them, despite the Colts appearing like a dysfunctional team. As Mac Jones continues to work through his struggles this season, Meyers will likely see many passes on Sunday. But will Gilmore be there to shut him down? Will Jones attempt to avoid throwing the cornerback’s way? Sunday can’t come soon enough.