Robert Kraft has plenty to be happy about these days. The Patriots owner is a newlywed and his football team is starting to look like a legitimate playoff contender.
But for a moment earlier this week, Kraft's mood reportedly shifted toward irritation and anger.
According to an ESPN report, Kraft effectively was threatened by Jerry Jones at Tuesday's NFL owners' meeting. Per the report, the Dallas Cowboys owner took aim at Kraft after the New England boss took the side of the majority who were in favor of moving forward with contract talks regarding commissioner Roger Goodell.
But why was Kraft Jones' target? After all, Jones was the only one of the league's 32 owners who voted against the motion. Don Van Natta Jr., who worked with Seth Wickersham on the aforementioned report, provided some clarity during a recent appearance on "Shan and RJ."
"Kraft is not as concerned about (Goodell's contract as Jones)," Van Natta said, as transcribed by Audacy. "Kraft wasn't as concerned about it back in 2017, nor was (Falcons owner) Arthur Blank, who was the chairman of the compensation committee, and so they got into it. And as I understand it, Kraft was sort of saying like 'Again? We're dealing with this again?' And Jerry said to him 'Don't (expletive) with me,' and Kraft said 'Excuse me?' And then Jerry ended it himself, I guess turned it into a PG rating and sort of said don’t mess with me.
"I know that Kraft and Jerry are -- not only are they the two most powerful owners in the NFL, I think there is some rivalry there. Jerry beat Kraft to the Hall of Fame, that hurt Kraft. Believe me, that hurt Kraft. Jerry won that. And there is a lot of rivalry there, guys. So is it possible that don’t mess with me, don't (expletive) with me, there's some stuff between those guys? Yeah. But the way Jerry is viewing Goodell, I was told last night by people close to Jerry, it's not personal. They insist it is about the contract and the structure of the new contract."
Perhaps Jones still was dealing with some lingering frustration from the Cowboys' primetime loss to the Eagles in Philadelphia this past Sunday. However, Jones might be in store for a mood-booster this weekend when Dak Prescott very well could make his return to game action for Dallas.
