Tag: Robert Kraft

Tom Brady. Credit: Bob Breidenbach/Providence Journal-USA TODAY NETWORK

Bronzed Brady: Patriots finally to unveil QB statue on Friday

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The long-awaited statue of Tom Brady, delayed due to scheduling issues, finally will be unveiled Friday outside of Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced in June 2024 that the team would be erecting the 12-foot statue during that season. However, when Brady’s new employer, Fox Sports, changed plans to send the retired quarterback and its No. 1 broadcast team to Gillette on a game day, the statue dedication was put on hold.

Now, a short ceremony will be held Friday ahead of the Patriots’ preseason game against the Washington Commanders. Space constraints will allow only limited viewing, but the ceremony will be screened on the videoboards inside the stadium, ESPN reported. Kraft and Brady are expected to speak.

“We’ve had it in storage for over a year. We had hoped to do it a year ago, but Tommy is so busy. It was just hard to find a time,” Kraft told Kay Adams on the “Up & Adams Show” last week. “When he got his announcing job with Fox — by the way, I think he’s off the charts with what he’s doing. How lucky are we to have the 199th pick [in the 2000 NFL Draft] be the greatest player to every play in the over 100-year history of the NFL? He played for us and he’s just a great human being. We are excited to honor him before the game next Friday.”

It will be a nice culmination to a week of birthday celebrations for Brady, who turned 48 on Sunday.

Brady led the Patriots to six Super Bowl championships during his tenure in New England from 2000-19.

Last June, Kraft said the Brady statue will be the only one in the plaza.

“(The statue) will stand alone in the plaza outside of the Hall of Fame to symbolize his position, not as the greatest in franchise history, but as the greatest in all of NFL history,” Kraft said.

Brady was a three-time NFL Most Valuable Player who holds the league records for completions (7,753), pass attempts (12,050), passing yards (89,214) and touchdown passes (649). He added his record seventh Super Bowl championship with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2020 season.

–Field Level Media

ORG XMIT: Patriots head coach Bill Parcells confers on the sideline with quarterback Drew Bledsoe during the game. Pats vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 1/12/97. Journal photo by Glenn Osmundson. Old Pats 2

Bill Parcells selected to Patriots Hall of Fame

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Former New England head coach Bill Parcells will be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame as a contributor.

Franchise owner Robert Kraft made the announcement Tuesday in a news release.

Parcellls guided the Patriots to a 32-32 regular-season record from 1993-96. While the .500 mark pales by comparison to what was to come for the franchise under Bill Belichick, it marked a turning point for New England, which was 14-50 in the four seasons before his arrival.

“In the early 1990s, the Patriots were in disarray,” Kraft said. “But the hiring of Bill Parcells in 1993, a two-time Super Bowl champion, brought instant credibility to the franchise. We had never had a head coach with his credentials. He was a master motivator and always got the most out of his players. In my first season as owner, he led us on that unforgettable seven-game win streak to qualify for the playoffs.

“Two years later, he accomplished something Patriots fans had never seen before, leading us to our first two home playoff wins in franchise history, and another trip to the Super Bowl. Those are memories I will never forget and achievements worthy of this honor. As a five-time finalist for our Hall of Fame, I am sure he would have been voted in eventually, but I wanted to expedite the process so he can enjoy the ceremony. I look forward to welcoming Bill back to Foxborough and celebrating his induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame.”

The Patriots’ honor comes 12 years after Parcells, now 83, was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is the only coach in NFL history to lead four different teams to the playoffs and three different teams to a conference championship game.

Parcells had a career 172-130-1 record with the New York Giants (1983-90 with two Super Bowl wins), Patriots, New York Jets (1997-99) and Dallas Cowboys (2003-06).

–Field Level Media

Dec 28, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo watches from the sideline as they take on the Los Angeles Chargers at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Pats owner Kraft: I put Jerod Mayo in ‘untenable’ position

Posted on | by Field Level Media

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft on Monday blamed himself for having to fire Jerod Mayo, saying he put the first-year head coach in an “untenable” situation.

Kraft met with the media one day after firing Mayo following a 4-13 season. The Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills 23-16 on Sunday to halt a six-game losing streak, and Kraft fired Mayo afterward.

On Monday, Kraft said Mayo wasn’t ready for the job.

“This whole situation is on me,” Kraft said. “I feel terrible for Jerod, because I put him in an untenable situation. I know that he has all the tools as a head coach to be successful in this league. He just needed more time before taking the job.”

Kraft said that the front office will remain and that the coaching search will be headed by Eliot Wolf and Alonzo Highsmith. Kraft said he as well as his son Jonathan will select the next head coach.

Mayo, 38, was in his first season on the job after replacing legendary Bill Belichick after last season.

The Patriots defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in Mayo’s debut and then dropped their next six games. New England won two of its next three games before the second six-game skid that ended with a 40-7 beatdown by the visiting Los Angeles Chargers.

“I don’t like losing. I don’t like losing the way we lost,” Kraft said. “Things were not developing the way we would have liked. It was time to move on.”

New England, which won six Super Bowl titles under Belichick, missed the playoffs for the third straight season. The Patriots haven’t won a playoff game since winning the Super Bowl following the 2018 season.

“In the end, I’m a fan of this team first,” Kraft said. “And now, I have to go out and find a coach who can get us back to the playoffs and hopefully championships.”

One available coach who should interest the Patriots is Mike Vrabel, who recorded a 54-45 record in six seasons with the Tennessee Titans from 2018-23. He guided the Titans to three playoff appearances, including a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2019 season’s AFC title game.

Vrabel, 49, also played for the Patriots from 2001-08 and earned three Super Bowl rings.

–Field Level Media

Jan 17, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft addresses media at a press conference announcing the hiring of Jerod Mayo as the team's new head coach at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Patriots plan to take time to hire GM

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The New England Patriots appear to be in no rush to fill the vacant general manager position in the wake of the departure of former head coach Bill Belichick, CBS Sports reported on Saturday.

Per the report, the Patriots have made no effort to interview external candidates for the vacant position.

The Patriots haven’t had a general manager since Belichick was hired in January 2000. According to league rules, the GM position can be left vacant all season.

Recent reported front office hires and comments by team owner Robert Kraft suggest the Patriots are more concerned about the short-term when it comes to executive positions.

Earlier this week, Eliot Wolf was promoted from scouting director to the No. 1 executive in charge of personnel, NFL Network reported Wednesday.

Wolf, 41, whose title is unclear, will have control of the 53-man roster while working closely with new head coach Jerod Mayo, according to reports. Wolf joined the Patriots in 2020 as a consultant before later being elevated to director of scouting in 2022.

Also this week, Alonzo Highsmith left the Miami Hurricanes to join the New England Patriots as a senior personnel executive.

Highsmith, who turns 59 later this month, has been the general manager of football operations for the Hurricanes the past two seasons. His addition reunites him with Wolf, with whom he worked at Green Bay and Cleveland earlier in their careers.

In other moves, director of player personnel Matt Groh is expected to run college scouting and Pat Stewart will have a leading role, per NFL Network.

In January, while introducing Mayo, Kraft indicated that Belichick’s influence over the past two-plus decades translates to a lot of existing in-house experience for the Patriots’ front office.

“We have a lot of people internally who have had a chance to train and learn under the greatest coach of all time and a man whose football intellect is very special,” Kraft said last month, when asked who will be handing out contracts and making draft picks.

“So, in the short-term, we’re looking for collaboration… We’re counting on our internal people, whom we’re still learning and evaluating. So, we’re going to let that evolve and develop, and before the key decisions have to be made, we will appoint someone.”

However, Kraft did not specifically say what position someone would be appointed to, and Wolf has yet to be officially introduced.

–Field Level Media

Jan 7, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick watches from the sideline as they take on the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Bill Belichick, Patriots to part ways

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Bill Belichick, the architect of six Super Bowl-winning teams with the New England Patriots, is ending his 24-year run as the team’s head coach, multiple outlets reported Thursday.

ESPN reported the two sides have agreed to mutually part ways after “productive talks resulted in a mutual decision that left both sides comfortable and at ease.”

Seven other NFL teams have openings for a head coach, and the 71-year-old Belichick is expected to draw interest from some of those franchises. Speculation is that the Atlanta Falcons, who fired head coach Arthur Smith on Sunday, will be at the head of the line to talk to Belichick.

While Belichick has one year remaining on his contract, ESPN reported that the Patriots will not attempt to trade him to another team and will allow him to pursue other head-coaching opportunities.

Belichick becomes the third coaching legend in two days to depart his role. Super Bowl-winning coach Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks split Wednesday after 14 seasons. Alabama head coach Nick Saban — a close friend of Belichick’s — also announced his retirement after 17 seasons and six national titles in Tuscaloosa and seven overall.

Belichick leaves New England with a 266-121 record in the regular season, plus a 30-12 mark in the postseason. His NFL head-coaching career began with the Cleveland Browns (1991-95), where he was 36-44 in the regular season and 1-1 in the postseason.

His 333 career wins are second only to Don Shula’s 347. Belichick, George Halas and Curly Lambeau are the only NFL coaches with six titles.

In Belichick’s 24 seasons, the Patriots won 17 AFC East titles, went to 13 AFC championship games and played in nine Super Bowls.

“This is the best coach that ever lived,” former Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi said Thursday on ESPN’s “Get Up.”

“Bill Belichick could get every drop of physical ability, mental ability, football-playing ability out of you somehow, some way … and if you were a player that wanted to win championships, that’s exactly what you wanted.”

Belichick turned around a middling franchise that never had won a title and created a dynasty.

In his first season with the Patriots, in 2000, the team was 5-11. The next season, after quarterback Drew Bledsoe was injured, Belichick inserted second-year player Tom Brady into the lineup, and the duo won its first of six Super Bowls with a 20-17 victory over the then-St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.

Brady left the Patriots for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 in free agency, and the Patriots were 29-38 without him, including 4-13 this season.

Finding Belichick’s replacement will be the next step for Kraft. Among the early leading candidates is believed to be 37-year-old Jerod Mayo, who played linebacker for the Patriots from 2008-15 and has been on Belichick’s staff since 2019.

–Field Level Media

In 2002, Tom Brady at media day at the New Orleans Superdome as both the New England Patriots and the St. Louis Rams answered questions from media personel as the field was being prepared for this Sundays Superbowl game.

Tom Brady thanks Pats after initially omitting them in retirement post

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Tom Brady has covered a lot of ground throughout his legendary career, from winning seven Super Bowl titles to routinely writing his name throughout the NFL record book.

A thorough competitor on the field, Brady had one omission during his lengthy social-media post that announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday.

Brady did not acknowledge the New England Patriots in his statement. Yep, not one time did the 44-year-old mention the team with which he won six of those Super Bowl titles and spent the first 20 years of his NFL career.

Brady’s initial statement lived on social media for approximately three hours before he returned to address the Patriots. After all, Brady and Bill Belichick own the record for Super Bowl appearances (nine) as a player and coach combination.

“Thank You Patriots Nation (heart emoji) I’m beyond grateful. Love you all,” he wrote on Twitter.

In his initial statement, Brady thanked his past teammates and coaches, and told his current Tampa Bay teammates he loved them in the multi-part post that included personal thank yous to Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht, head coach Bruce Arians, personal trainer Alex Guerrero, agent Don Yee, Brady’s parents and wife, Gisele.

Brady initially did not mention the Patriots, however that didn’t stop the club from showing its respect for their longtime quarterback.

The Patriots posted an illustration of Brady riding a duck boat off into the sunset with the caption: “It was quite the ride. Thank you and congratulations.”

New England also released a statement from franchise owner Robert Kraft.

“Words cannot describe the feelings I have for Tom Brady, nor adequately express the gratitude my family, the New England Patriots and our fans have for Tom for all he did during his career. A generation of football fans have grown up knowing only an NFL in which Tom Brady dominated,” Kraft said.

“… You didn’t have to be a Patriots fan to respect and appreciate his competitiveness, determination and will to win that fueled his success. As a fan of football, it was a privilege to watch. As a Patriots fan, it was a dream come true.”

The Patriots drafted Brady with the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft out of Michigan. He won three Most Valuable Player awards and earned 14 of his record 15 Pro Bowl selections with New England.

–Field Level Media

Dec 10, 2020; Inglewood, California, USA; New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is seen prior to a game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Patriots owner ‘excited’ for Tom Brady’s Week 4 return

Posted on | by Field Level Media

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is ready to embrace an old friend when Tom Brady returns to Gillette Stadium in Week 4 of the upcoming NFL season.

“Excited to have him,” Kraft told TMZ Sports on Friday. “He’s a great guy, and he did so much for us. I love him.”

Kraft’s response came two days after the 2021 season schedule was released by the NFL.

While Kraft admittedly is excited to see Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 3, the Patriots have other games to address before facing their former quarterback.

“We should have a fun night!” Kraft said. “But I’m excited for Week 1 … and we play Miami.”

Brady, 43, captured three NFL MVP awards and six Super Bowl titles during his 20 seasons with the Patriots. He left in free agency in March 2020 and added another Super Bowl championship in his first campaign with the Buccaneers.

“It’s like when your high school friends meet your college friends,” Brady wrote on Twitter of the teams’ matchup.

Brady threw for 4,633 yards and 40 touchdowns with the Buccaneers last season.

Conversely, the Patriots look to rebound after a 7-9 record last season resulted in missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Cam Newton, first-round draft pick Mac Jones out of Alabama and Jarrett Stidham are the team’s quarterbacks.

–Field Level Media

Dec 28, 2020; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft on the field as his team warms up before the start of the game against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Patriots’ Robert Kraft addresses free-agency binge, draft misfires

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The New England Patriots were quite active during the NFL’s free agency period, spending a league-record $165 million in guaranteed money.

While the Patriots added tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith and wideouts Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne, among others, Patriots owner Robert Kraft acknowledged Wednesday that being active in free agency isn’t the desired path toward long-term success.

“In the end, if you want to have a good, consistent, winning football team, you can’t do it in free agency,” Kraft said. “You have to do it through the draft because that’s when you’re able to get people of great talent, whether it’s Willie McGinest or Tom Brady. You get them at a price where you can build the team and be competitive. Once they get to their (second) contract, if they’re superstars, you can only balance so many of them.

“… Really, the teams who draft well are the ones who will be consistently good. I don’t feel like we’ve done the greatest job the last few years and I really hope and believe I’ve seen a different approach this year.”

The Patriots look to rebound after a 7-9 record last season resulted in the first time they missed the playoffs since 2008. They have 10 picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, which kicks off on April 29. Barring a trade, their first pick will be No. 15.

As for New England’s recent top draft picks, well, judge for yourself.

In 2017, the Patriots selected defensive end Derek Rivers and offensive lineman Antonio Garcia in the third round. Both players are no longer with the team.

The following year’s first-round picks, offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn and running back Sony Michel, have produced inconsistent results. Wynn has started 18 games over the past two seasons while Michel rushed for 1,843 yards and 13 touchdowns in his first two campaigns before being limited to 449 yards and one score in 2020.

Wideout N’Keal Harry, the team’s first-round pick in 2019, has just 45 catches for 414 yards and four touchdowns in 21 games.

–Field Level Media

Jan 20, 2019; Kansas City, MO, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) greets owner Robert Kraft in the locker room as they celebrate their win over the Kansas City Chiefs during overtime in the AFC Championship game at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Pats owner Robert Kraft: ‘I’m rooting for Tom Brady’

Posted on | by Field Level Media

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft wants his former franchise quarterback to win ring No. 7 on Sunday.

“I’m rooting for Tom Brady,” Kraft said in an interview to air Sunday on CBS.

Brady, who won six of his nine Super Bowl appearances with the Patriots, left in free agency last March after 20 seasons with New England. He signed a two-year, $50 million deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

On Sunday, the 43-year-old veteran leads the Bucs into a Super Bowl LV clash with the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in Tampa.

“I’m so excited,” Kraft said. “We’ve had some great communications, and he is such a special human being. We were privileged to have him here for two decades, and he’s one of the finest human beings I’ve ever met. He knows how to lead, and I wish him well. I really hope he wins Sunday.”

Brady expressed his thanks for the “incredible support” he has received from the Patriots organization during his first season in Tampa.

–Field Level Media

Dec 10, 2020; Inglewood, California, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick looks at different plays during the first half against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Bill Belichick declines Presidential Medal of Freedom

Posted on | by Field Level Media

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick announced Monday night that he will turn down an invitation to the White House to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Belichick explained his decision in a statement that did not mention President Donald Trump by name but alluded to the events of the past week, when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. Five people, including a police officer, died.

“Recently, I was offered the opportunity to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which I was flattered by out of respect for what the honor represents and admiration for prior recipients,” Belichick said. “Subsequently, the tragic events of last week occurred and the decision has been made not to move forward with the award. Above all, I am an American citizen with great reverence for our nation’s values, freedom and democracy.

“I know I also represent my family and the New England Patriots team. One of the most rewarding things in my professional career took place in 2020 when, through the great leadership within our team, conversations about social justice, equality and human rights moved to the forefront and became actions. Continuing those efforts while remaining true to the people, team and country I love outweigh the benefits of any individual award.”

Trump has drawn support from Belichick, Patriots owner Robert Kraft and ex-Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in previous years. During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump boasted about a receiving a letter of support from Belichick.

Belichick said Trump ran a “tremendous campaign” and called the media “negative” and “slanted,” Trump said at the time.

According to Trump, Belichick wrote, “Hopefully tomorrow’s election results will give the opportunity to make America great again.”

The support was in line with the Patriots’ owner, whose Kraft Group reportedly donated $1 million to the Trump inaugural committee.

Trump recently reappointed Belichick to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition. The Patriots coach first was appointed in 2018.

Belichick holds NFL records among head coaches for most Super Bowl victories (six) and most Super Bowl appearances (nine).

–Field Level Media