Report: Robert Kraft 'Out Of His Mind With Anger' Over Patriots' Punishments

The New England Patriots are mad as hell over the NFL’s latest disciplinary decision.

The NFL on Monday came down hard on the Patriots when it announced Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was suspended four games after he was implicated in the Wells Report for his alleged role in DeflateGate. The league also handed the Patriots a $1 million fine and docked the team a draft pick, including a first-rounder next season.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Patriots owner Robert Kraft have been closely tied for just about all of Goodell’s tenure, but to say that relationship is now fractured might be an understatement. That relationship is “pretty much dead,” according to another NFL owner, and Sports Illustrated reported Tuesday morning in a story that will run in this week’s issue that Kraft “sees the investigation and report as an act of disloyalty — the worst offense.”

SI’s Greg Bedard cites sources close to Kraft who further detailed the owner’s rage as it pertains to the investigation and ensuing discipline.

“I really don’t see how Robert is going to get past this with Roger,” the source told Bedard. “Robert was furious with the leaks and the investigation in the first place, but he figured they’d be exonerated. Now he’s out of his mind with anger.”

Kraft and the Patriots publicly voiced their displeasure with the Wells report by simultaneously releasing a statement when the report was released last week. However, in that statement, Kraft admitted he and the club “understand and greatly respect the responsibility of being one of 32 in this league and, on that basis, we will accept the findings of the report and take the appropriate actions based on those findings as well as any discipline levied by the league.”

So much for that.