Back in 2013, before Aaron Hernandez was charged with the murder of Odin Lloyd, the Patriots were in a tough position.
The choices were clear – either cut Hernandez and take on a massive dead cap hit or keep the tight end on the roster and see how he fares in court. As it turns out, opinions were split on this matter inside Gillette Stadium.
Episode six of the Apple TV+ show titled, ‘The Dynasty: New England Patriots,’ has multiple explosive revelations about Hernandez. This chapter was titled ‘At All Costs’ and dove into one of the saddest storylines in Patriots history.
According to Patriots president Jonathan Kraft, Bill Belichick wanted to keep Hernandez on the roster and see how the legal situation played out. Instead, Kraft says he forced the Patriots to release the tight end.
“Aaron was being led out of his house in handcuffs and it was on television everywhere. I just remember thinking whatever warm feelings we might have toward Aaron, it looks like he’s the ultimate bad thing and we can’t have him on our team any longer,” Kraft said. “At that time, my dad and Bill were both out of the country, but I felt strongly we couldn’t wait. So, I called my dad and he very much agreed.
“And we called Bill, and Bill, as is his way, was always more measured. In the beginning, he said, ‘You know, he’s not guilty yet.’ There were competitive issues, too. He didn’t want to have to lose an amazing football player. So, Bill’s instinct would be to play this (expletive) thing out until the end. I just knew we couldn’t play it out to the end. Not because of how it looked on us, but because we had to set a (expletive) example. I mean, it’s like, this guy’s a murderer!”
BetMGM BET $5, GET $158! BONUS BETS
STATES: MA, KY, AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA. Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21 years of age or older to wager. MA Only. New Customer Offer. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets. Bonus bets expire 7 days from issuance. In Partnership with MGM Springfield. Play it smart from the start with GameSense. GameSenseMA.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org.
Ultimately, on June 26, 2013, the Patriots released Hernandez less than two hours after he was arrested at his North Attleboro home. The 27-year-old was charged and then found guilty of Lloyd before taking his own life in 2017.
A year before, Hernandez signed a five-year, $40 million contract extension with the Patriots. When the team released him, most of Hernandez’s 2013 salary ($1.2 million) was already guaranteed and he accounted for $5 million on the team’s salary cap that year. In 2014, he counted for $7.5 million on the team’s cap.
In 2020, the Patriots received a $2.55 million credit after a grievance was filed by the NFLPA on behalf of Hernandez’s estate. At the time, his family was seeking more than $6 million in withheld guaranteed money.
Friday’s Episode three dove into the Hernandez story, featuring players, coaches, and the Kraft family. Robert Kraft said he has trust issues stemming from Hernandez, who told the owner he had nothing to do with Lloyd’s murder.
“To this day, I can’t believe I got snookered like that,” said Kraft, who admitted the Patriots messed up and apologized for drafting and keeping Hernandez in New England.
