Bill Belichick disagrees with Jake Bailey's agent, but doesn't add much on punter's suspension

BOSTON -- The end of the Patriots' season was not without some level of controversy, as the team placed injured cornerback Jack Jones and injured punter Jake Bailey on the reserve/suspended list on the Friday of Week 18, retroactive to the day before the Week 17 game vs. Miami.

The agents for both players released statements about the matter, with Jones' agent citing a "miscommunication" between the team and the player about injury rehab steps. Bailey's agent, meanwhile, filed a grievance, as he and Bailey seemed to disagree with the team's assessment of the punter's situation.

On Sunday, after the Patriots' season-ending loss in Buffalo, Bill Belichick faced some questions about the matter. Belichick said that he disagreed with the statement from Bailey's agent ... but didn't add much beyond that.

Here's how Belichick's exchange with reporters went in Buffalo.

Reporter: Jake had been your kickoff person, and he's not available to you, he's on the suspended list. But his agent put out a statement saying that he hoped to come back and he was surprised by the suspension. I'm curious if you see it the same way?

Belichick: No.

Reporter: Could you elaborate how you see it?

Belichick: He wasn't ... he is not eligible to play.

Reporter: His agent said he felt like he was ready and he was surprised when he was told that he [was being suspended.]

Belichick: He was on designated for return, and he wasn't able to play. So ... I mean the suspension, it's a whole 'nother thing, but he wasn't able to come back from the DFR.

Reporter: So he wasn't unavailable because of the suspension, is what you're saying?

Belichick: He was unavailable. That's the bottom line.

Reporter: Because of the IR?

Belichick: He was unavailable.

Belichick's lack of detail was not uncharacteristic, but in the unique case of the team suspending two players at the end of the year, it's likely that details will eventually emerge on the situation with both players, too.

Bailey's absence was missed in one critical area on Sunday, too, as the Patriots allowed returns for touchdowns on two kickoffs in their 35-23 loss to the Bills. In addition to punting and holding duties, Bailey has handled kickoff duties since he entered the NFL in 2019. His ample leg is plenty strong to power the football through the end zone for touchbacks when needed. But with Bailey missing roughly half of this season, the Patriots carried the second-lowest touchback percentage in the NFL into Sunday's game. 

Veteran Nick Folk doesn't have the power to boom kicks through the end zone, and Nyheim Hines made that hurt with his two kick returns -- one taken from a yard deep in the end zone, the other having been caught at the 4-yard line.