With Aaron Hernandez the focus, Episode 6 of “The Dynasty” was a tough watch for New England Patriots fans.
The episode offers significant insight into Hernandez, the former Patriots tight end who was released in 2013 after murdering Odin Lloyd and committed suicide in 2017 while in prison. There’s a lot to dissect, but arguably the most interesting bit involves Patriots vice president Jonathan Kraft and his comments involving Bill Belichick.
Bill Belichick Apparently Wanted To Keep Hernandez After Murder Charges
Authorities searched Hernandez’s North Attleboro, Mass., home on June 18, 2013. The next day, he assured Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft that he wasn’t guilty of any crimes. Hernandez was eventually arrested and charged with murder on June 26, and the Patriots released him shortly after hearing the news.
However, according to Jonathan Kraft, Belichick didn’t initially want to release Hernandez.
“Aaron was being led out of his house in handcuffs, and it was on television everywhere,” Kraft said during the episode. “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. 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.”
The episode also rehashed previously known information about Hernandez, fearing his own safety, pleading with Belichick to trade him to a West Coast team in early 2013. Belichick, who declined Hernandez’s request, stonewalled a question about the topic during the episode.
“Yeah, it’s an unfortunate situation about Aaron. And I don’t have anything to add to it,” Belichick said in what were his only remarks during the episode.
Other Aaron Hernandez Excerpts From ‘The Dynasty’ Episode 6
Here are some of our top takeaways from the episode:
Tom Brady Didn’t Appear Once
Belichick, both Krafts, Deion Branch, Brandon Lloyd, and Ernie Adams all appeared in the episode. But Hernandez’s quarterback, Tom Brady, was notably absent. Brady’s input would’ve been fascinating, and the episode suffered without it.
Deion Branch’s Relationship With Hernandez
Lloyd revealed that Branch often was tasked with calming Hernandez down when we would get emotional. The two were close, and Branch seemed to struggle to talk about his former teammate.
“I hope people don’t take this the wrong way,” Branch said. “Um … you only know what someone is to their core, and you can only judge them by what you see. I have some moments where I’m just like, ‘Like, you should have seen that.’ Like … ‘Deion, you should have seen that.'”
Ernie Adams’ Transparency
Belichick’s longtime right-hand man gave interesting insight into Hernandez and how the Patriots felt about drafting him.
“We knew that there were issues. But you make a calculation on draft day: Look, we’re getting first-round talent for a fourth-round price,” Adams said. “If it doesn’t work out, right, we can always cut him.”
Adams also talked about Belichick’s decision not to grant Hernandez’s trade request.
“Probably the best thing for Aaron Hernandez’s pro football career and his life might’ve been to go to the Seattle Seahawks, not be within a two-hour drive of people he grew up with from his hometown of Bristol,” Adams said. “You know, someone got killed. A young person lost his life because of Aaron Hernandez.”
Hernandez’s Problematic Locker Room Behavior
Lloyd opened up on how Hernandez’s locker room banter often crossed a line.
“What Aaron was saying, it deviated far off the norm of just locker room bulls—-ing around,” Lloyd revealed. “He would rage out on players, motherf—-n’ people, saying he’s gonna beat their ass, ‘F—in, I’ll kill you,’ which is something that I don’t take lightly.
“When Aaron would have meltdowns, Deion (Branch) could come over and have a quiet conversation with him.”
Robert Kraft’s Honesty
Kraft detailed a conversation with Hernandez in the early days of the controversy
“I said, ‘Aaron, tell me, did you do this? Because if you did, I know you must have had some good reason. I’m gonna get you the best defense lawyer we can get, and I’ll do it at my cost,'” Kraft revealed.
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“And he looked me right in the eye, not blinking or anything, and said, ‘Mr. Kraft, I didn’t do that. I was in Rhode Island.’ Or something. And when he said it, I believed him. He actually changed my life and how I look at people, because it just — I, to this day, I can’t believe I got snookered like that.”
Kraft finished with this apology:
“When we bought the team, I said that we could make a difference in our community and make things better. We didn’t in this case. There are parents who wake up every day without their sons, and a young daughter without her father. We messed up in this one. And for those of you who feel pain, I apologize.”