Friction with Patriots was at a ‘record high’ in 2017?

The New England Patriots have been able to sustain such a lengthy period of success under Bill Belichick by limiting distractions and putting winning above all else, but is the Hall of Fame coach losing control?

For the first time in their 18 years together, talk of a power struggle between Belichick, Tom Brady and Patriots owner Robert Kraft dominated the headlines for a significant portion of the season. While a lot of that may have been overblown, longtime Patriots reporter Tom E. Curran feels the tension surrounding in New England is unlike anything he has seen since he began covering the team.

As Curran describes it, “all of the elements” are in place for a messy divorce in New England.

I won’t pretend to know the exact disposition of Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, Robert Kraft, Jonathan Kraft, Rob Gronkowski, Josh McDaniels and every other one of the legion of Patriots players, coaches and executives in the mosaic down there.

But my perception is that the friction and fatigue were at a record high in 2017. Left unchecked, it will end them as we know them.

That may sound dramatic, but few reporters have a better understanding of what goes on in Foxboro than Curran. Had the Patriots managed to defeat the Eagles in the Super Bowl, we would probably be hearing less about the supposed rift between Belichick, Brady and Brady’s personal trainer. However, the way New England lost to Philadelphia is perhaps more alarming than the actual loss itself.

When in the Belichick-Brady era have we ever seen veteran players blatantly support a player the legendary coach essentially shunned? Never. Couple that with the reports about Rob Gronkowski not enjoying the culture in New England anymore, and you can see why Curran thinks there is a real problem.

If any team can brush the differences aside in the name of winning, it’s the Patriots. That being said, the crumbling of one of the greatest dynasties in sports has never felt so close.