Patriots Owner Bob Kraft Felt ‘Betrayed’ by Bill Belichick and Tanked His Chances at a New Job By Badmouthing Him to a Fellow Owner: Explosive Report

Steven Senne/AP

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft reportedly played a major role in Bill Belichick not being hired elsewhere after his departure from the team.

Belichick’s historic tenure with the team came to an end at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. After winning six Super Bowls with the team, it was widely assumed that one of the greatest coaches in the history of the sport would have no trouble finding a new home.

As time passed and coaching vacancies around the league began to fill, however, Belichick was left without a job. As it stands now, he will not be on a sideline by the start of the 2024-25 season.

According to a Wednesday report from ESPN, Kraft likely had something to do with that. While Belichick was vying for the job with the Atlanta Falcons, Kraft called Falcons owner Arthur Blank and gave a damning assessment of the coach.

“Robert called Arthur to warn him not to trust Bill,” one of the sources said.

Another source claimed Kraft “was a big part” of the the Falcons’ decision to look for someone else.

After a number of disagreements and multiple disappointing seasons following the departure of Tom Brady, the Kraft family reportedly felt “betrayed” by the Belichick. The sources stopped short of saying the Krafts would actively try to hurt the coach, however.

“But I don’t think they’d try to help him either,” a source said. “They weren’t going to try to sink him. He was finished as an effective head coach. Just look at his last four years in New England. A disaster… If you’re Arthur Blank, why do you want the headaches?”

The report also revealed that Belichick is expected to sign a deal as an analyst for Peyton Manning’s Ohama Productions. Manning and ESPN’s Pat McAfee previously expressed interest in bringing the coach into the media world.