Several theories have emerged in regards to the falling out between New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and coach Bill Belichick. In a piece for NBC Sports, Peter King suggests one particular thing may have angered the Kraft family in particular.
The on-field product has not been great in recent seasons. The Patriots finished 4-13 in 2023 and now have the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. However, issues off the field may have been prevalent as well.
King suggests that both Robert and Jonathan Kraft might have had hard feelings for Belichick and gave one example of an incident involving Belichick not wearing a pin correctly.
King wrote:
Robert Kraft launched a $25-million fund to combat antisemitism in 2023. Belichick appeared at the league meetings with a blue-square pin denoting the Kraft cause—but instead of wearing the pin high on his shirt as most people would, he wore it down around his stomach. Maybe it was unintentional, but I doubt it. That’s the kind of thing that I’m sure ticked off the Krafts.
Many Patriots fans would have liked to have seen Belichick return in a coach-only type of role. After all, it seems like a bold move to cast a six-time Super Bowl-winning coach off into the sunset.
There were obviously a multitude of reasons for the Patriots to go in a different direction, and as King suggested, they all might not have been for on-the-field issues.
