Julian Edelman, former Patriots star wide receiver, confirmed the tension between team owner Robert Kraft and ex-coach Bill Belichick was real during the "Roast of Tom Brady" event. The Netflix show was held at the Kia Forum, and afterward, Drew Bledsoe, another former Patriots player, joined Edelman on his podcast "Games with Names" to discuss the strained interaction between Kraft and Belichick.
Edelman remembered the pre-event atmosphere in the green room, saying, "Bill's opening up. He's having fun, he's talking war stories, talking rookie skits," He added that Belichick seemed more animated than usual because he was excited to see everyone, given he no longer has a job. However, Edelman noted, "We know what Bill's all about, but it was like amplified because he was excited to see you guys because he doesn't have a job anymore. The tension in that room, though, could cut glass."
Bledsoe agreed with Edelman's account, adding, "Then Kraft walks in," According to him, Belichick was holding court when Kraft entered, causing everyone to go over and greet Kraft. Despite the tension, Bledsoe noted that Kraft and Belichick did manage to have a conversation for about 10 minutes.
As a die-hard Patriots supporter, Kraft shelled out an NFL-record $172 million back in 1992 to snap up the team, and not long after, Belichick stepped in as head coach and de facto general manager in 2000. Together, they forged one of sport's most formidable empires with gridiron ace Tom Brady quarterbacking through this golden era propelling New England to six Super Bowl victories and an impressive run of 11 consecutive playoff berths from 2009-2019.
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But all good things come to an end, and so did this sporting saga, as Brady waved goodbye to Massachusetts for Florida's warmer climes in 2021, followed by Kraft and Belichick deciding to go their separate ways two years on. The Apple TV+ series "The Dynasty" peeled back the curtain on tensions between the pair, revealing Kraft's candid opinion that "my head coach is a pain in the tush."
The frosty relationship between Kraft and Belichick hit new lows this offseason when Belichick was tipped as the frontrunner for the Atlanta coaching gig. An April scoop from ESPN had it that Falcons owner Arthur Blank, who counts Kraft among his close buddies, was cautioned by Kraft against putting faith in Belichick.
Despite sitting down with Belichick twice, the Falcons passed him over in favour of Raheem Morris, the defensive strategist from the Los Angeles Rams. With other speculated landing spots like Philadelphia, Washington, and the New York Giants not panning out, Belichick found himself without a team as the offseason wrapped up.
Kraft and Belichick, nudged by event host Kevin Hart to join forces on stage, ended up sharing a toast. The Patriots owner didn't hold back in his praise for the coach, declaring, "I want to say this is the greatest coach in the history of the game that did what no one else has done," and adding, "And having Tom Brady and him was the greatest honor the good Lord gave me."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.
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