Mohamed Sanu says New England was bad fit for him
98.5 The Sports Hub staff report
Now on his feet with the San Francisco 49ers, Mohamed Sanu can be honest about his failed fit with the New England Patriots.
“I feel like [New England] just wasn’t a good fit,” Sanu admitted Thursday.
Acquired from the Falcons last year in exchange for a second-round pick, Sanu totaled 26 catches on 47 targets for 207 yards and a touchdown in eight regular-season contests with the Patriots, and caught just one pass for 11 yards in a wild card loss to the Tennessee Titans. The marriage between the Patriots and Sanu truly soured when the 6-foot-2 wideout injured his ankle returning a punt in a Week 11 win over the Eagles, and it simply wasn’t repaired in time, with not even offseason surgery, a headstart with starting quarterback Cam Newton, and a thin wideout group enough to salvage Sanu’s spot on the 2020 Patriots.
“Things happen the way they happen, and I’m not really looking to the past,” Sanu said. “I’m just focused on what I’ve got here in San Fran. I’m excited just to be a part of this team.”
Reunited with Kyle Shanahan, the Falcons’ offensive coordinator during Sanu’s 2016 season in Atlanta, the 31-year-old Sanu also believes that the 49ers have a better culture fit for his game in 2020.
“This culture [in San Francisco] is just more my style,” Sanu, who made his Niners debut last week but was not targeted in the passing game, offered. “I’m excited for it. I’m just taking full advantage. I’m grateful for my time in New England. It taught me a lot.
“It just didn’t jell out how I wanted.”
(In case you’re wondering, the second-round pick the Patriots sent to the Falcons turned into the No. 55 overall pick, which the Falcons used to acquire tight end Hayden Hurst from the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens then used that pick to draft running back J.K. Dobbins.)
Click here for 98.5 The Sports Hub’s complete coverage of the NFL.
