Before comedian Kevin Hart managed to get Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft on stage together during Sunday’s Tom Brady roast on Netflix, the former New England Patriots head coach and team owner interacted backstage as onlookers felt the “tension” in the room.
Former Patriots Julian Edelman and Drew Bledsoe discussed the raunchy three-hour show during Edelman’s podcast this week. The ex-wide receiver described Belichick as having a blast catching up with some of his former players backstage before Kraft entered the room. It was then that some felt a bit awkward given how the relationship between the two ultimately led to Belichick leaving the franchise after 24 seasons.
“Bill’s opening up. He’s having fun, he’s talking war stories, talking rookie skits, talking fun [expletive], doing [expletive] we know what Bill’s all about, but it was like amplified because he was excited to see you guys because he doesn’t have a job anymore,” Edelman said
“And then Kraft walks in,” Bledsoe said.
“The tension in that room, though, could cut [expletive] glass,” Edelman said. “That was so awkward.”
Edelman said he tried to give Belichick a heads up that Kraft had just entered but the head coach did not pick up on Edelman’s signal.
“[Kraft] came in, and I was like, ‘Oh [expletive], there’s gonna be some fireworks,'” Edelman said. “I just walked away. I didn’t want to get in there.”
But there were no fireworks, according to Bledsoe. Appearing on “The Dan LeBatard Show with Stugotz” on Monday, the former Patriots quarterback said Belichick and Kraft spoke cordially during that pre-show conversation.
“Don’t know what was said, but it was a pretty sincere 15 minutes where they had a good long conversation,” Bledsoe said. “There’s great mutual respect there, obviously. Most successful owner and head coach [combo] of all time. Obviously, Tom and the rest of that squad had a lot to do with that, but there’s still genuine respect there between those guys.”
Some of that “tension” Edelman felt came on the heels of an ESPN report in April that Kraft repeatedly told Atlanta Falcons owners Arthur Blank to not trust Belichick, which ultimately led the Falcons to go in a different direction during their head coaching search after interviewing Belichick twice.
“I want to say this is the greatest coach in the history of the game that did what no one else has done,” Kraft said as he and Belichick were on stage together Sunday night. “And having Tom Brady and him was the greatest honor the good Lord gave me.”
