Imitation isn’t the only sincere form of flattery in Robert Kraft’s world.
The New England Patriots owner told the Boston Herald’s Karen Guregian on Tuesday the rumored interest other teams have in recruiting his offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels, as their head coach flatters him.
Speculation over McDaniels’ future has spiked recently following the Cleveland Browns’ firing of Hue Jackson and the Green Bay Packers’ jettisoning of Mike McCarthy. Kraft initially sidestepped the McDaniels question before briefly addressing it.
“I care about winning Sunday,” Kraft said. “That’s what really what I care about. Whatever happens … you know, we have good people. I’m actually flattered that people are after our people.”
McDaniels in February agreed to become the Indianapolis Colts’ head coach but he soon changed his mind and instead signed a new long-term contract with the Patriots. Some feared his reversal might dampen interest in his services but he remains among the among the most sought-after assistant coaches in the NFL and could choose from several job opportunities this offseason, including the Cleveland Browns’ or Green Bay Packers’ vacancies.
McDaniels offered little insight into his future Tuesday during a conference call, telling reporters he’s only concerned about winning Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins.
Given Kraft said the same thing when asked about McDaniels, we only can assume they were reading from the same script … until the Patriots owner decided to ad lib and revealed his true feelings on the subject.
