NFL Rumors: Patriots To Hire Ex-New England Receiver To Coaching Staff

The New England Patriots found a way to make some news during Super Bowl LVIII.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, who cited a source, reported that the Patriots are closing in on hiring Tiquan Underwood to their coaching staff.

Underwood is familiar with the Patriots and with new head coach Jerod Mayo. The 36-year-old was teammates with Mayo during his one season with New England in 2011.

After Underwood’s NFL career came to an end in 2013, he spent three seasons in the Canadian Football League before jumping to the coaching rankings. Underwood got his first coaching job with Lafayette College in 2018 as a wide receivers coach and became a quality control assistant with the Miami Dolphins the following year.

Underwood then went back to college football in 2020, spending two seasons on Greg Schiano’s staff at Rutgers as the wide receivers coach. Underwood most recently was the pass game coordinator and wide receivers coach at Pittsburgh.

It is unclear exactly who Underwood will work with coaching New England’s wideouts. Troy Brown coached the positional group this past season, but it hasn’t been confirmed it will he remain on Mayo’s staff while Ross Douglas, who worked alongside Brown, left the Patriots during the middle of the season to take the same position with Syracuse.

Underwood didn’t do much as a player during his brief stop with the Patriots, catching three receptions for 30 yards in six games. His tenure is most known for being cut a day prior to Super Bowl XLVI and for being the ire of Tom Brady, which led to a heated sideline argument between Brady and Bill Belichick.

Underwood is just the latest Patriots player to join Mayo’s staff. Dont’a Hightower reportedly will be a linebackers coach for New England next season.