Patriots Sign Former Division Rival As Replacement For Injured Veteran

Head coach Bill Belichick knows that players get injured really easily which is why he has a backup plan every time his team takes the field. Former All-Pro Jake Bailey ended up on injured reserve and the Patriots decided to sign a former division rival Michael Palardy as a replacement.

The veteran will do punting duties in the game against the New York Jets. Mike Reiss from ESPN was among the first to confirm the signing. Losing Bailey won’t be a big blow for the Patriots because he played poorly in the first portion of the season. His back issues played a big role in this and Bailey had to leave the field.

Patriots decided to sign a division rival for a reason

The 2020 NFL season was really successful for Bailey. He made the Pro Bowl and received the All-Pro nod, delivering great numbers throughout the entire season. However, he saw dramatic decline and hit the bottom, averaging 42.1 yards per punt. Belichick didn’t have too many options and brought another player.

New England signed a familiar name. Palardy was a Patriot for a few weeks. He was also part of the Miami Dolphins and played against Belichick’s team.

The Patriots are coming off the bye week and are already getting ready for their revenge. They had great success against the Jets in Week 8, and hopefully, they will repeat the performance on Sunday.

Belichick trusts Palardy for a reason. He will handle kickoffs and serve as Nick Folk’s holder. The Patriots head coach has seen him do all these things. We have a few good reasons to believe that he will be a punter and holder in the upcoming game.

Players will be challenged by the cold weather. This will make things a little difficult for Palardy.  Belichick expects him to do his job and help the Patriots beat NY players. Let’s see what happens in tonight’s game.

New England will go against a strong opponent, but they have done this before. They will do it again. Patriots fans expect a good win after all.