Demaryius Thomas Rips Trade to Jets from Patriots: 'It Was Disrespectful to Me'

New York Jets wide receiver Demaryius Thomas does not have fond memories of his brief stint with the New England Patriots.

Thomas was cut by New England before the start of the 2019 season, re-signed two days later and then traded to the Jets for a 2021 sixth-round pick eight days after that when the Pats decided to try the ill-fated Antonio Brown experiment. According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, the entire process made Thomas feel disrespected:

"It was insulting, for sure. Once I got cut, I could have just come here [to the Jets] and not stayed there and re-sign. When they re-signed me, I was thinking that I was good. Two weeks later, I was gone. So, it's like, 'Why did I waste my time?' Because at the end of the day, it was kind of a waste of time for me."

Thomas added: "It was disrespectful to me. Like, you know, you could trust me and I could trust you. You told me when you cut me at the [final] cut, sit around you'll bring me back. And I stayed. I could have easily become a Jet once I got cut. ... I could have been here the next day after I got released. But I chose to stay."

Thomas, who has bounced back from a torn Achilles he suffered last season, suggested he re-signed with the Pats after they cut him because he was assured that his roster spot was safe even though that wasn't ultimately the case.

The 31-year-old Thomas showed what he could do in one preseason appearance with the Patriots, as he caught seven passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns. With tight end Rob Gronkowski retiring and rookie first-round pick N'Keal Harry going on injured reserve, Thomas seemed like a good bet to make the team.

He was hampered by a hamstring, however, and the opportunity to sign Brown after he was cut by the Oakland Raiders was too enticing for New England to pass up at the time.

Thomas detailed how head coach Bill Belichick informed him he was being traded to the Jets despite his decision to re-sign with New England:

"Coach [Belichick] came up to me and was like, 'Uh, we got too many guys. We can't get the ball around enough and we're going to trade you to the Jets.' And that was that. ... Ain't no reason to yell. They've won championships without me. I was only trying to be a part of something that was going to be good when I was there. ... They're doing a hell of a job."

Thomas came to New England with an impressive resume that included four Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl win during his nine seasons with the Denver Broncos. Thomas also had a brief stint with the Houston Texans last season.

The 2010 first-round pick out of Georgia Tech registered at least 1,000 receiving yards in five straight seasons from 2012-2016, and he scored double-digit touchdowns in three consecutive campaigns from 2012-2014. For his career, Thomas has caught 697 passes for 9,438 yards and 62 touchdowns.

While Thomas had designs on vying for another championship this season when he signed with the Patriots, he has begun to carve out a niche for himself in New York.

On a young Jets team, Thomas has made eight catches for 109 yards over the past two games, which suggests he is establishing himself as one of the go-to guys on offense.

With quarterback Sam Darnold returning from mononucleosis, Thomas made four catches for 62 yards in New York's upset win over the Dallas Cowboys this week.

This season may not be everything Thomas hoped for, but if he can stay healthy, he has a chance to help take Darnold to the next level and earn himself a contract for next season in the process.