Reggie Wayne Explains Why Patriots Were His ‘Best Job Ever’

Reggie Wayne will always be remembered for his tenure with the Indianapolis Colts, but he doesn’t actually consider that time as his best job ever.

After spending over a decade with the Colts, the six-time Pro Bowl wideout signed a deal with the Patriots. It was a tough blow to the fans in Indianapolis, especially since the two franchises were rivals for a while.

Wayne received a $450,000 signing bonus once he signed with New England. However, he didn’t end up staying on the team for long because he told Bill Belichick his heart wasn’t in it.

You’d think that Wayne would have to give the front office its money back since he only spent two weeks with the Patriots, right? Well, it turns out that Belichick told Wayne to keep the money out of respect. That is why Wayne refers to his two-week stint in Foxborough as the “best job ever.”

Here’s what Wayne told the Detroit Free Press about that experience with Belichick:

“I went up to him and I said, ‘Hey … I know I got a signing bonus. I’ll give it back, no biggie,’ ” Wayne said. ”Bill Belichick told me to keep it. Told me to keep it. I’m like, ‘Hey, you ain’t got to bend my arm back twice.’ He told me to keep it. And that was love, man. And I always had respect for him. I’ve heard people and seen stuff that he’s done on camera of his respect for me, and maybe that was just his sign of appreciation. We had a lot of battles against that team, so he told me to keep it. We kept it in the bank. I appreciate it. Hey, the best job ever.”

That’s a sweet gesture from Belichick, who is often seen as an emotionless coach.

Wayne certainly earned New England’s respect after countless battles over the course of his career.

Colts fans can’t even get mad over Wayne’s comments. Who would pass up $450,000 for only two weeks worth of work?