It's probably unsurprising to anyone familiar with how the Patriots 2023 season unfolded that a handful of players added to the lack of fun due to their disappointing performances. Unfortunately, many of them were expected to be a crucial part of the team's success or were near the top of the list to have a breakout year.
Because the team seemed in flux for most of the year, there was little room for many of them to be productive. However, a few led the team with their lackluster performances, hence why a list like this can be put together.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
In one of the least shocking developments of the season, as his initial signing garnered an adverse reaction, JuJu Smith-Schuster could not become the player he was once believed to be. He was brought in as a replacement for Jakobi Meyers, who had consistently contributed to the offense and earned his way to being the WR1 for Mac Jones.
But Smith-Schuster proved beyond a reasonable doubt that he is not near the talent of the former Patriots receiver.
The season began on an odd foot, with Smith-Schuster having a bit of an up-and-down preseason due to a lingering knee injury suffered earlier in the year when he was still with the Chiefs. Unfortunately, it set up a pessimistic feeling among the fans and did not improve much throughout the 2023 season.
Through 11 games, he recorded 29 receptions for 260 yards and a touchdown, which is less than exciting. But to his credit, the offense was an absolute disaster regardless of who was under center, so the lack of production isn't entirely his fault.
However, because of Kendrick Bourne's season-ending injury, Smith-Schuster had an opportunity to step up and fill the void he left in Week 8. He attempted to do so, totaling 14 of his 29 receptions and 181 of his 260 yards on the season in that time.
Unfortunately, his concerning knee issues forced the team to end his year by placing him on injured reserve, thus completing a disappointing first year in New England.
Josh Uche
After completing a career season in 2022, despite the amount of hardships the team dealt with all season, the belief with Josh Uche was he was going to build upon that and become a great number two guy alongside Matthew Judon. Although that wasn't how his season began, when the four-time Pro Bowler went down with what ended up being a season-ending injury, it felt like the time for Uche to rise in the ranks and take over.
But that's far from what happened.
The dominant force we saw on the field a year prior was long gone, as Uche recorded just one sack, ten combined tackles, and three quarterback hits in 11 games during Judon's absence. It was not exactly what the team was hoping for, especially since the defense was the better side of the team, and it may have led to Bill Belichick exploring the possibility of trading him before the deadline.
Perhaps knowing that played a factor in Uche's regression because it was widely reported a deal was almost done for him to be shipped off to Detroit. However, if he was hoping to prove he didn't deserve to be traded and earned a spot on the team, his performance didn't demonstrate that at all.
He now enters free agency for the first time in his career, and because his longtime coach, Jerod Mayo, was promoted to succeed Belichick, we may see Uche back in a Patriots uniform next season. But the question arises if that's the right move, and recent history shows it may be a mistake.
Tyquan Thornton
Maybe it's not entirely on his shoulders for why he's been less than exciting since being drafted, but Tyquan Thornton continued not to live up to the hype put behind him by Belichick since signing with the team in 2022.
He began the year on injured reserve and didn't make his season debut until Week 6, but unlike his rookie season, the wide receiver wasn't given many opportunities to really get involved with the offense, and because of that, he recorded just 13 receptions for 91 yards.
Now that the 2024 season will likely have the team's fourth offensive coordinator in four years, there's a chance Thornton will be implemented into the offensive game plan more than he has in the past, it just hinges on who will be calling the plays and who the quarterback will be.
But at the same time, Mayo has already made it clear he intends on spending a lot of money in free agency and given the receivers that are set to be on the market, it's expected he will go after those top players. If that's the case, then Thornton falls down the depth chart even further.
It would be nice to see if he can be the type of player he was projected to be in the NFL, and maybe significant changes to the staff and roster will be what needs to be done to see that happen.
Mac Jones
When Mac Jones was drafted in 2021, there was some underlying chatter that the Patriots may have gotten the best quarterback of the class, and he somehow managed to fall to them at pick 15. There were rumors that the 49ers, who traded up into the top 5 to get a quarterback, had seriously considered taking Jones instead of Trey Lance but ultimately went with the one from North Dakota State.
Comparing how the two have fared since entering the league, there is an argument to be made the Patriots got the better player of the two. However, it has not been a smooth ride for Jones over the last three years in New England.
He impressed during his rookie year and had an expected down year in 2022 due to the loss of Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia replacing him despite his lack of experience with the offense. Once it was clear he would not be returning, and instead, Bill O'Brien was returning, the assumption was the Jones of 2021 would return to the field in short order.
But as we saw, a worse version of the quarterback was present last season, forcing Belichick to bench him four times before ultimately keeping him there in place of Bailey Zappe. Now, there are plenty of arguments to be made regarding how Jones has fallen flat so quickly and all the factors that have impacted him, but without getting into that, his performance in 2023 was nothing short of disappointing.
Heading into a new offseason with a new head coach and another offensive coordinator, Jones will be doing all that he can to not just keep his job, even as a backup, but also attempt to prove he can be the QB1 for a team that has all the makings of drafting their next franchise quarterback.
Since Jerod Mayo has been with the team throughout the first three years of Jones's career, he knows all the struggles he has faced on and off the field, as well as anyone. He's openly discussed the quarterback and hasn't ruled out giving him another chance, but the 2023 season may have sealed Jones' fate, at least in Foxboro.
Mike Gesicki
Maybe expectations shouldn't have been as high for Mike Gesicki when he was initially signed in free agency last year. But he was quickly touted as one of the best under-the-radar signings for any team in the offseason.
Because the pairing of Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith didn't pan out how anyone wanted it, bringing in Gesicki seemed like an upgrade that could immediately pay off on the field. Henry could remain the TE1, and Gesicki could be thrust into becoming the jumbo receiver role and dominate in the red zone, something Smith could not do during his two seasons there.
That was the expectation, primarily since the former Dolphin was not known for superior blocking. But much of what we saw from him was similar to Smith's, and it just didn't seem like he was the right fit either.
Despite his better availability than Smith, Gesicki ended the 2023 season with similar production, recording 29 receptions for 244 yards and two touchdowns. It was his worst statistical season outside of his rookie year and was only an upgrade over what they had the previous season by one touchdown.
It's possible he fell victim to the stagnant offense that continued to deal with hurdles all season, from the quarterbacks to the play-calling; it wasn't exactly a perfect scenario for a new player to walk into.
However, his performance remains disappointing and becomes even more problematic now that the Patriots don't have a single tight end under contract for next season, bringing them back to their initial issues after Rob Gronkowski left the team.
Chad Ryland
Coming into the season as a rookie, there was a lot of hype around Chad Ryland for a few reasons, mainly due to Belichick deciding to keep him as the lone kicker on the roster by releasing trusted veteran Nick Folk. The other exciting factor was that he had been projected as one of the best at the position in the 2023 class, which made it seem like the Patriots may have finally found the next guy for the job.
But with that came the criticism of letting go of Folk, who hadn't shown much change in performance since signing with the team in 2019. He did miss five field goals in 2022, but given how much leniency others have gotten for their troubling production that season, it seems fair to give Folk a bit of a pass as well.
On top of that, Ryland hadn't outshined Folk throughout the summer enough for Belichick to feel comfortable keeping the rookie over the 15-year pro. But that decision led to Ryland's inevitable fate, as he struggled mightily all season long, missing nine field goals and one extra point attempt.
He became a hot topic in New England, which likely took a toll on his confidence, but his consistent misses put the team in undesirable situations in games far too often that they would typically not be in if Folk had been around.
And to make matters worse, Folk signed with the Titans and had his best statistical season for field goals made in his career, missing just one from 50+ yards out.
Now that Ryland will be entering his second year in the league, maybe he will show some improvement and feel more comfortable in his environment. That's the hope, anyway, since he remains as the only kicker on the roster and there are far too many other positions that Mayo will likely prioritize over replacing him any time soon.