In the annals of NFL history, few moments stand out as starkly as the chaotic conclusion of a game between the New England Patriots and the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022. Jakobi Meyers found himself at the center of this spectacle, which unfolded during the final seconds of a crucial late-season match under the watchful eye of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. With the score locked at 24, New England appeared set on letting the clock run out, seemingly content to settle the outcome in overtime by handing the ball to Rhamondre Stevenson for a straightforward draw play.

What transpired next was anything but routine. Stevenson managed to evade tackles long enough to make a surprising lateral to Meyers, injecting a sense of possibility into a play that seemed destined for the ordinary.

The real twist, however, lay in Meyers’ decision. In a moment that defied logic, he launched the ball across the field, only to see it land squarely in the hands of Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones. Jones seized the opportunity, outmaneuvered a lone Patriots defender, and sprinted to the end zone, etching one of the NFL’s most unexpected touchdowns into memory.

This unforgettable sequence earned its own moniker, “The Lunatic Lateral,” a fitting title for a play that left fans and analysts alike bewildered. Despite the uproar and the barrage of criticism directed at Meyers, many overlooked the fact that he had been the Patriots’ top receiver that season. This performance eventually secured him a lucrative three-year, $33 million contract with the Raiders during the offseason.

In his first year with Las Vegas, Meyers surpassed 800 receiving yards, and subsequently set personal bests with 87 receptions and 1,027 receiving yards the following season. As the Raiders faced a challenging period, lagging behind in the standings, they made the strategic decision to trade Meyers to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for 2026 fourth and sixth-round draft picks.

Meyers topped 800 yards in his first season in Las Vegas, then posted career highs in receptions (87) and receiving yards (1,027) the following season. Midway through this year, the Raiders, going nowhere in the standings, traded Meyers to the Jacksonville Jaguars for 2026 fourth and sixth-round picks.

The impact has been immediate. Before Meyers’s arrival, the Jaguars were 5-3 and 23rd in the NFL in scoring, averaging 20.4 points per game. Since the trade, Jacksonville has won five out of six games and seen its scoring output jump to 31.8 points, second only to the Los Angeles Rams. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has also seen his production improve, posting 14 touchdowns across six games with Meyers to just nine touchdown passes in eight games without him.

As a result, Meyers has scored the largest contract of his career. The Jaguars extended him with a three-year, $60 million deal that runs through the 2028 season. The contract includes $40 million in guaranteed money.

Yes, Meyers may still hear the occasional joke about a play from years ago. But it’s a lot easier to have a sense of humor when you’ve got millions of dollars coming your way.

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