It’s hard to pull just one highlight from Netflix’s roast of Tom Brady, which was stunningly hilarious, successful, and newsworthy.
But it’s hard to top that awkward toast between New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and his former head coach, Bill Belichick. It was an uncomfortable moment for two legends who otherwise appeared to love the event.
However, it sounds like the real Kraft-Belichick fireworks went off backstage shortly before the roast began. Thanks to Drew Bledsoe and Julian Edelman, both of whom roasted Brady on Sunday, we now know a bit more about the events leading up to showtime.
Kraft’s Appearance Surprised Many Roasters
One of the more shocking moments from the roast came when comedian Jeff Ross cracked a joke about Kraft’s infamous massage parlor scandal from 2019.
Brady approached Ross immediately after the joke and said, “Don’t say that s–t again.” It was the only moment when Brady visibly protested a joke. It also marked the last time anyone joked about the scandal.
But was Brady’s outrage real or staged? It was legitimate, according to Bledsoe, who, during a recent appearance on Edelman’s “Games with Names” podcast, revealed that Kraft’s appearance at the roast surprised many involved.
“It certainly wasn’t on the teleprompter,” Bledsoe said of Ross’ joke. “I don’t know if that was part of the script or not. But it seemed sincere, like, ‘Hey man, you don’t go there.'”
“Did you know that Kraft was gonna be there?” Bledsoe then asked Edelman. “I didn’t know that he was going to be there until [the day of the roast]. … And they did that intentionally so that all these comedians didn’t go too deep on the massage jokes, which was smart.”
Did Jeff Ross cross the line at The Roast of Tom Brady? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/kG0BV3Ijv7
— Games with Names (@gameswithnames) May 8, 2024
Brady obviously knew Kraft would attend the roast. But it’s unclear whether Belichick was given a heads up that he’d be in the same room as the man who basically fired him four months ago and reportedly smeared him afterward.
Regardless, things apparently got awkward backstage once Kraft showed up.
Edelman Details Pre-Roast Tension Between Kraft and Belichick
Belichick might not have seen or spoken to Kraft since leaving the Patriots in January. And multiple reports indicate he has an axe to grind with his former boss.
But there was nowhere to hide when Kraft entered the green room shortly before the start of the roast.
“Pre-show, we’re in the green room,” Edelman said. “Randy [Moss], Drew, me, [Rob Gronkowski] — we’re all just chilling in there. Bill’s opening up. He’s having fun. He’s talking war stories. Talking rookies. Doing s–t we know what Bill’s all about, but it was amplified because he was excited to see guys because he doesn’t have a job anymore.
“And then Kraft walks in,” Bledsoe said before Edelman continued. “The tension in that room, though … it could cut f—ing glass.”
Bledsoe added: “[The tension] was real. It was very real. Very real … Belichick’s kind of holding court. Well, as he’s in the middle of a story, Kraft walks in. And so, you guys all go over to say ‘hi’ to Kraft. The last man standing is my bro, and he’s like, ‘Well, Bill’s telling a story. If I leave, then he’s telling the story to nobody.’ ”
@Edelman11 on the scene (w/ Belichick & Kraft) in the green room before the Brady roast.
“The tension in that room could cut f*cking glass” pic.twitter.com/PDxKQsgZ82
— Games with Names (@gameswithnames) May 8, 2024
Given that story, and what happened later in the evening, you likely would assume the Kraft-Belichick relationship still is in a bad place. And maybe it is.
MORE: Revisiting the Drew Bledsoe Injury That Kicked Off Tom Brady’s Career
However, the two might’ve made peace when they had time to themselves.
Bledsoe Reveals Kraft and Belichick Had ‘Sincere’ Conversation
During Monday’s episode of “The Dan Le Batard Show,” Bledsoe revealed that Kraft and Belichick had a private conversation before the start of the roast.
“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 [pairing] 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.”
Oh, to be a fly on the wall in that room.
What the future holds for the Belichick-Kraft relationship remains to be seen. However, with Tom Brady’s Patriots Hall of Fame induction looming on June 12, the two might get another chance to talk things out.
Drew Bledsoe’s Best Jokes From The Roast of Tom Brady
Bledsoe arguably was the best non-comedian roaster of the night. He cracked jokes about Brady’s failed marriage with Gisele Bundchen, Belichick’s job status, and Aaron Hernandez.
Here are some of the highlights:
“So, real talk. A lot of people just assume that I have a lot of animosity towards Tom Brady. Well, I’m here to tell you tonight, in front of millions of people, that you’re correct. I f—–g hate him.”
“There was a rumor that coach Belichick was going to be here tonight. Turns out he has some time on his hands. Hey, look, at least when I got fired, somebody else wanted me.”
Bill Belichick, Drew Bledsoe, and Tom Brady meet again at the #TomBradyRoast pic.twitter.com/N4BbRrG5sX
— Netflix (@netflix) May 6, 2024
“Look, Tom invited his one Black receiver here tonight. That’s very woke of you, buddy. You’re very woke … Anyway, Randy Moss is here. He’s a country-ass bass fisherman from West Virginia who used to own a NASCAR team. Even your Black receivers are white dudes. I mean, come on, his name’s Randy.”
“Rob Gronkowski’s here tonight. He’s Tom’s favorite tight end that wasn’t a murderer.”
“Look, buddy, you have more rings than I do, but I’ve experienced a couple of things you’ll never experience: The feeling of being the No. 1 overall draft pick in the NFL, and a 28th wedding anniversary — it was yesterday.”
MORE: Best of the Tom Brady Roast: Hilarious and Shocking Moments