New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has been insisting for over a year now that any rumors about power struggles within his organization have been fabricated and exaggerated, and he is not backing down from that stance even during a rough start to the season.
In an appearance on CNBC Friday morning, Kraft was again asked about the talk of tension between himself, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. He dismissed it as “jealousy.”
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft on stories of team unrest, on CNBC this morning:
"Envy and jealousy are incurable diseases and you'd rather be a recipient than a donor."
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) September 28, 2018
Kraft has used that exact same phrase on numerous occasions, including when responding to the Deflategate allegations. He’s right that there are many people who hate the Patriots and want to see them fail because they have won so much over the past 15-plus years, but there’s little question Belichick’s relationship with Brady has been better.
Reports over the past year have indicated that Brady is at odds with Belichick over the quarterback’s personal trainer and the access he is granted to the team. Some of those issues have apparently been worked out, but Brady has said things like “I plead the Fifth” when asked if he feels appreciated by the Patriots. At the very least, the future Hall of Fame coach and quarterback do not seem like best friends.
