Bill Belichick is as calculated as any one person can be. So, is it possible there was a deeper meaning behind his recent effusive praise of George Kittle?
Rob Ninkovich thinks so.
Belichick on Monday said Kittle, perhaps the best tight end in football, is "as good as anybody that I've coached or as good as anybody that we've played against." And Ninkovich, a former Patriot, is among those who believe Belichick was sending a message to Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski.
"I don't get why he is doing that," Ninkovich said Thursday during an appearance on "The Greg Hill Show," as transcribed by WEEI's Ryan Hannable. "It seems like a little shot. It seems like a little jab."
" … I just think it may be a slight little jab there, which seems a little unnecessary. But, Kittle is good. You can't argue with the fact that Kittle is the best tight end in the game right now. I personally think he is. He is better than (Travis) Kelce in the running game. He can block, he's tough. He has a little bit of craziness to him, where if he's going to get hit he is going to jump up and scream a little bit. For me, I like him as the No. 1 tight end in the league right now. Best ever? It's still Gronk to me."
We likely never will know Belichick's true intentions behind offering such glowing praise of Kittle. Oh well.
The Patriots will host Kittle and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
