Did Robert Kraft use McDaniels as revenge on Colts for Deflategate?
Was the way the Josh McDaniels situation unfolded just a way for Robert Kraft to stick it to the Indianapolis Colts over Deflategate? One person thinks so.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who first reported news that McDaniels was turning down the Colts job to remain with the Patriots, tweeted that a source told him Kraft was messing with the Colts as revenge for Deflategate.
Text from one league source: “That’s Kraft putting it to the Colts again. He will forever try and (expletive) that place ever since deflate gate.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 7, 2018
You may recall that the entire Deflategate scandal was launched after the Colts complained to the league about Tom Brady supposedly using deflated balls during the AFC championship game.
The Colts had announced on Tuesday that McDaniels agreed to become the team’s head coach and an introduction was set for Wednesday. According to ESPN, Patriots owner Robert Kraft then stepped forward with a sweetened contract offer to entice McDaniels to stay. That and an assurance Bill Belichick would be back in 2018 was all he needed to stay in New England.
ESPN says that had the Patriots shown interest in retaining McDaniels much earlier in the process, he might not have been as serious about leaving. So was this all intentional by Kraft? Maybe making sure he didn’t lose McDaniels specifically to Indy was a reason why he stepped up. Keep in mind that the Colts starting Deflategate certainly has stung the Kraft family.
