He has admitted to meddling in football decisions and alienating his coaches in his early years of owning the Patriots. In 2013, Kraft claimed he was “duped” by Aaron Hernandez, the Patriots tight end who was convicted of murder and later killed himself in prison. In ownership circles, Kraft is known to act as a kind of shadow commissioner, forming close relationships with sponsors, vendors, media companies and even the N.F.L. Many owners tolerate Kraft’s freelancing because he gets results and tries to keep other owners in the loop. Numerous former and current league executives and Kraft’s ownership brethren declined to comment on the record for this article, as did Kraft.

Source: New York Times March 04, 2019 08:00 UTC