Matthew Stafford wanted nothing to do with the New England Patriots

The Patriots hire of Matt Patricia came back to bite them.

At this point, the fate of Matthew Stafford has likely sunk in. The long-time Detroit Lions quarterback was traded to the Los Angeles Rams after a 12-year span in the Motor City.

The Lions will receive a third-round pick in 2021, a first-round pick in 2022 and a first-round pick in 2023 and former franchise quarterback Jared Goff. Maybe the 26-year-old can rebound in Detroit or perhaps the team still drafts a quarterback at No. 7 overall.

For now, the Lions will be looking for their first quarterback since 2009.

Eight teams were supposedly vying in on Stafford’s services this upcoming season. One team on the list was the New England Patriots.

However, according to NBC Sports Tom Curren, Stafford had no interest in playing in Foxborough for Bill Belichick in 2021.

Does this confirm New England’s rebuild?

The Patriots spent the last 20 seasons as the dynasty of the AFC. The team had Tom Brady and felt like a lock to make the AFC Championship game every season. After six Super Bowls and countless playoff memories, the two parted ways last spring.

Brady will have a chance to win his seventh Super Bowl while Belichick and New England finished 6-10 with Cam Newton. Newton is a free agent and could be headed to a different team this offseason.

Stafford seemed like a perfect fit last season in Gillette Stadium if New England was serious about trying to remain a top team in the AFC. Instead, they opted against the price tag.

Stafford turning down a chance to play with a six-time Super Bowl champ says plenty of the direction of New England. The rebuild in the AFC East now officially seems underway.