NFL Rumors: Bill Belichick Felt Robert Kraft ‘Took Shot At Him’ Before AFC Title Game

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady’s relationship has been discussed at length over the past nine months, with a number of reports suggesting the New England Patriots’ power couple is at odds with one another over a number of issues.

The third member of the Patriots’ great triumvirate, owner Robert Kraft, was named in the initial ESPN report of palace intrigue in January, but otherwise has remained relatively clear of the swirling rumors that have focused on Brady and Belichick.

But it appears that Belichick and Kraft’s relationship also is rocky, as the owner’s response to ESPN’s initial report, which took place prior to the Patriots’ AFC Championship Game win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, reportedly irked the head coach, who viewed it as a “shot at him,” according to ESPN’s Ian O’Connor.

O’Connor, whose book “Belichick: The Making of the Greatest Football Coach of All Time” recently reignited the rumors around the fractured Brady-Belichick relationship, spoke with 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Michael Felger and Tony Massarotti on Wednesday, and noted that his sources told him Belichick was not happy with how Kraft addressed the rumors about the inner workings of the team.

“I know, according to a source who knows with direct knowledge, that he was not happy with Kraft’s comment the morning of the AFC Championship Game against Jacksonville on the NFL Network,” O’Connor said. “I believe it was Willie McGinest who asked the question about the reports of conflict and Kraft said, ‘everybody’s got to get their egos checked at the door.’ Belichick took that as a direct shot because he knows the warm relationship Kraft has with Brady. So he took that as a personal hit and he did not like it.”

Belichick’s reported anger toward Kraft also could be due to the owner’s possible role in the Jimmy Garoppolo trade. It was reported in January that Kraft stepped in at Brady’s behest to force Belichick to trade the heir apparent, which certainly wouldn’t put the two on good terms.

The chatter around Patriot Place is unlikely to die down any time soon, especially with the Patriots starting off the season 1-2 due to a punchless offense and a defense that has struggled to get off the field.