Matt Patricia has taken on interesting new role with Patriots

Matt Patricia returned to the New England Patriots following his firing from the Detroit Lions. He apparently is taking on some interesting new duties since rejoining the team.

Patriots reporter Mike Reiss had a 10-item article on the Patriots that was published on Sunday morning. In one of the items, Reiss noted that Patricia is helping the Patriots with contract negotiations.

According to Reiss, “in recent weeks, [Patricia] has been helping finalize contracts (his name appears on some of them) with free agents and getting involved in negotiations in certain spots as a salesman of sorts.”

Patricia began as an offensive assistant with the Patriots in 2004 and worked his way up to defensive coordinator. He served in that capacity from 2012-2017 before leaving to take the Lions job. After a poor tenure as Detroit’s head coach, he returned as an assistant to head coach Bill Belichick. Bill’s son, Stephen, began working last year as the Patriots’ defensive coordinator of sorts. That meant Patricia did not have his old role waiting for him. However, Belichick apparently has found some new uses for his former longtime staffer.

We know some players did not have the greatest things to say after Patricia’s firing. Maybe his new role will suit him better.