Patrick Chung's poor season in Philadelphia helped him in successful second stint with the Patriots
Photo by Keith Nordstrom |
Since returning to the Patriots after a one-year stint with the Philadelphia Eagles, safety Patrick Chung has been excellent. But it wasn't all fun and games for the Oregon product.
Chung was a pretty underwhelming player in his first go-around with the Patriots, even though the way he was used came into question a lot. Drafted in 2009, Chung played up until the 2012-2013 season with New England in what was a sub-par secondary.
That offseason, he a signed a three-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles to play with then head coach Chip Kelly, whom he played for at Oregon.
Chung only lasted one year in Philly, and his lone year there was worse than any of his first four years in New England. The Eagles released him after the 2013-2014 season and ended up back with the Patriots shortly thereafter.
Chung has participated in two Super Bowls, winning one of them, and will participate in his third this Sunday. With those results, it's no surprise that he's happy to be here again.
CSNNE:
“I missed my friends, I missed the coaches, I missed the city, the fans, my son,” he said. “A little bit of everything, man. It was an honor to come back.”
When Chung found out that head coach Bill Belichick admitted to misusing him, Chung tried to put the blame back on himself for simply not making plays.
“I appreciate everything Bill’s saying, but when it comes down to it, it’s about me being consistent,” he said. “So forget what Bill’s talking about; it’s about me being consistent. He gave me another chance and now I’m trying to be as consistent as possible. My first stint was on me.”
Chung has been a key cog in the Patriots defense the last couple of years. He has been healthy and has been used as a strong safety, which fits more to his ability to be effective in blitz packages and covering bigger players like tight ends.
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