Patriots Country

Patriots' Robert Kraft Fires Back at Fan Backlash

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has responded to fan criticism heading into the NFL offseason.

Matthew Schmidt

Sep 8, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; against the New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft before the game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
Sep 8, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; against the New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft before the game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
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The New England Patriots were once one of the most renowned organizations in all of sports. Now, they are turning into quite a nightmare. And no, it's not just because of their head-coaching situation.

The Patriots also have arguably the least talented roster in all of football, which has resulted in considerable backlash about New England not spending money.

Last offseason, the Pats entered free agency with massive cap space, but were unable to land any significant pieces, much to the chagrin of their fan base.

The Patriots are again slated to have a wealth of cap room going into the offseason, but fans are wondering if they will actually spend any of it. Well, owner Robert Kraft has fired back at the "cheap" accusations.

“We have always been in situations where we spend to the cap," Kraft said, via Keagan Stiefel of NESN. "We have never told any coach to limit the spending — the only thing that has been said is, ‘If you exceed the cap, we’d like to see it leveled out over three years. ... We want to win, and that is our priority first.”

To be fair to Kraft, it's not necessarily that New England isn't spending money. It's that star players are not really all that interested in joining the Pats.

Last March, the Patriots hotly pursued wide receiver Calvin Ridley, only watch him spurn them for the Tennessee Titans. New England seems to be planning a run at fellow top wide out Tee Higgins this coming offseason, but there is growing sentiment that Higgins will not want to sign with the Pats.

That being said, if no one wants to join your franchise, there is obviously a reason for it.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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Matthew Schmidt
MATTHEW SCHMIDT

Matthew Schmidt is a sportswriter who covers NFL, MLB, NBA and college football and basketball. He has been writing professionally since 2011 and has also worked for Bleacher Report, FanRag Sports, ClutchPoints, NFLAnalysis.net and NBAAnalysis.net. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has a rather eclectic group of favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Miami Marlins.

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