The New England Patriots have once again found themselves at the center of a bombshell story as they prepare for another Super Bowl run, and they are handling it the same way they always have.
Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft released a joint statement on Friday addressing ESPN’s report about an alleged power struggle within the organization. The trio said reports of rifts among them have been “unsubstantiated, highly exaggerated or flat-out inaccurate.”
Joint statement from Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft, Head Coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady: pic.twitter.com/i555gWZIi6
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 5, 2018
The ESPN story indicated that Belichick was forced by Brady and Kraft to trade Jimmy Garoppolo. Investigative reporter Seth Wickersham said there are some inside the Patriots’ building who feel the end is near for the Brady-Belichick era, and that this could possibly be the coach’s last year with the team.
While there is probably some truth behind the major takeaways from the story, it would be surprising if Belichick walked away from the dynasty he has built when the Patriots are still contending for championships. As they always do, the Patriots are going to let their brief statement and their play on the field do the talking.
