New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has apparently been calling around the NFL warning fellow owners about Bill Belichick, and Fox Sports analyst Nick Wright is not happy about it.
During a recent episode of FS1’s First Things First, Wright ripped Kraft and said that what he has done to Belichick is betrayal. He also went on his own podcast, What’s Wright With Nick Wright, and continued his assault on Kraft.
Wright makes a pretty salient point.
If it’s true that Kraft called Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank multiple times to essentially tell him not to hire Belichick as head coach and also contacted Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris to do the very same thing, that is indeed slimy behavior.
Regardless of the differences between Kraft and Belichick, it’s never right to basically blackball someone from getting a job, especially when you had so much success with that person.
Let’s face it: Belichick won six Super Bowl championships for Kraft in New England. Yes, Tom Brady was obviously the driving force behind those titles, but Belichick also played a major role with his savvy drafting and his incredible in-game coaching adjustments.
Kraft had a part to play in the Patriots’ dynasty as well. He was the owner, after all. However, Brady and Belichick absolutely deserve the lion’s share of the credit.
Belichick may never get another head-coaching job again due to the the way the NFL landscape has changed, but Kraft’s behavior certainly isn’t making it any easier for him.
The Pats parted ways with Belichick this past year after he spent 24 seasons with the club. Not only did he win six Super Bowls, he also led them to nine Super Bowls overall and guided the Patriots to 17 AFC East division crowns.
We’ll see if Bill Belichick is able to find work in spite of Robert Kraft’s best efforts to sabotage him.
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