The Dallas Cowboys acquired quarterback Joe Milton from the New England Patriots in a trade on Thursday, per numerous reports. 

The Patriots traded Milton and a seventh-round pick in exchange for the Cowboys’ fifth-round compensatory pick, per ESPN.

Milton, 25, started one game for the Patriots last season after being selected by the team in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Tennessee. 

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Milton’s lone start for the Patriots came in Week 18, when they played the Buffalo Bills. The Patriots won that game 23-16 and Milton impressed in the win, albeit playing against mostly backups and depth players for the Bills as they had clinched their seed in the AFC playoffs.

In the win, Milton completed 22 of 29 passes for 241 yards and one touchdown, while he ran for 16 yards and a touchdown as well. 

The Patriots signed quarterback Josh Dobbs in free agency to be their backup behind Drake Maye, which made Milton available for trade. 

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With Dak Prescott as the starting quarterback, Milton will slide in as the team’s backup quarterback. Cooper Rush and Trey Lance backed up Prescott last year and the pair started a combined nine games after Prescott sustained a hamstring injury in Week 9 that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. 

However, Rush departed for the Baltimore Ravens in free agency while Lance still remains a free agent. 

With the reported addition of Milton and the departure of Rush, the Cowboys quarterback room now consists of Prescott, Milton and Will Grier. Grier has only appeared in two NFL games since being drafted by the Carolina Panthers in 2019. 

Milton earned the nickname "Bazooka Joe" because of his strong throwing arm. In his final season at Tennessee, he completed 64.7% of his passes for 2,813 yards with 20 touchdowns and five interceptions. 

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March 28 apparently represents more than the last Friday of the month for former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick. 

The six-time Super Bowl champion Patriots coach decided to use the day on the calendar to troll a team the Patriots defeated in the big game more than eight years ago. New England overcame a 25-point deficit to defeat the Atlanta Falcons in overtime in the 2017 Super Bowl. 

At one point, the Patriots trailed the Falcons by a score of 28-3. Belichick referenced the long-running joke when he posed for a picture with Jordon Hudson.

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In a photo posted to her Instagram Stories, Hudson wore a shirt that said, "Champions Super Bowl LI Falcons" as she stood next to Belichick in what appeared to be a hotel room.

"Happy 3-28 to those who celebrate," Hudson captioned the photo.

In another Instagram Stories post from Hudson, she showed off a pair of keychains. 

"Live each day like it's 3-28," one of the keychains said, while the other displayed a screenshot of the score from the third quarter when the Patriots were behind by 25 points.

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This is not the first time Hudson has taken a shot at the Falcons. She was photographed wearing the same shirt in New Orleans during last month's Super Bowl week. 

Many Patriots fans attempt to annually mock the Falcons over the infamous loss by reversing the numbers on the calendar. 

While it was long debated whether Belichick or Tom Brady was the key to the Patriots' run to six Super Bowl titles, the coach had little success without his star quarterback. 

Belichick had a mostly unsuccessful coaching tenure during his time at the helm of the Cleveland Browns before he took the Patriots job. Brady left New England after the 2019 season and won his seventh Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

The Patriots went 7-9 in their first season without Brady. While the Patriots made the playoffs in 2020, they failed to win a postseason game. New England missed the playoffs in 2022 and were one of the worst teams in the NFL in 2023.

Belichick and the Patriots parted ways after the 2023 season. He failed to draw much interest from NFL teams who were looking for a new head coach at the time, but the Falcons did grant him an interview.

The team ultimately hired Raheem Morris. Belichick sat out of coaching last season, but he recently accepted the head coaching job at North Carolina.

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Former NFL defensive back Matt Stevens has died, his family announced. He was 51.

According to an obituary, Stevens died on March 20. A cause of death was not immediately provided. 

"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Matthew Stevens age 51, beloved son and father," the obituary stated.

Stevens had resided in Durham, North Carolina, since retiring from football in 2003.

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Stevens rose to football stardom at Appalachian State, where he became a two-time All-American. He is a member of the App State Athletics Hall of Fame.

The football program expressed condolences to Stevens' loved ones.

The Buffalo Bills selected Stevens in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He recorded a career-high six regular-season interceptions in 1999 when he played for Washington.

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Stevens played for the New England Patriots in 2001. He was a member of the Patriots' Super Bowl XXXVI-winning team. The Patriots' 20-17 victory over the St. Louis Rams marked the first Super Bowl title in the franchise's history and kicked off New England's dynasty.

Stevens ultimately had stints with five NFL teams.

Stevens was in a motorcycle accident in 2007 and was paralyzed from the waist down as a result. Several years later, he used special braces that allowed him to regain his ability to walk.

A memorial service for Stevens is scheduled for Friday in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 

Stevens is survived by "his mother, Jean Thillberg, his father Vincent Stevens, his brother Mark Stevens and his children Cassidie and Colin Stevens of Avon by the Sea, New Jersey, as well as aunts, uncles and cousins," according to the obituary.

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Mike Vrabel returned to the New England Patriots to be their head coach this offseason after he won three Super Bowls with the team as a player. 

Vrabel, 49, spent eight of his 14 seasons in his playing career as a linebacker for the Patriots and was a key cog in their defense. Vrabel is in the Patriots Hall of Fame.

Vrabel talked about why he felt this season was the right time for him to return to New England as a coach during an appearance on OutKick’s "Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich."

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"I think that where I ended up, ultimately, when things opened up and I started interviewing, I think it was the right time to come back. I had opportunities before to come back here in other capacities, and I felt like I wanted to have my own coaching journey, which I have and learned from a lot of great people and coaches," Vrabel said.

Once his playing career ended in 2010, Vrabel served as the linebackers and defensive line coach at his alma mater, Ohio State, for three seasons. 

Vrabel’s first year coaching in the NFL was 2014, when he was the linebackers coach for three seasons with the Houston Texans before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2017. 

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After one season as defensive coordinator, Vrabel was hired by the Tennessee Titans in 2018 to be their head coach. Vrabel spent six seasons with the Titans in that role before being fired at the end of the 2023 season. 

Vrabel spent last season with the Cleveland Browns as a coaching and personnel consultant, and he was in high demand in this year’s head coach search cycle.

"I felt like the time was right [to return]. I appreciated the interviews with [the Chicago Bears] and with the [New York Jets] and those organizations, and then once I was able to get here, we were able to get something done."

Vrabel is tasked with turning around a Patriots team that finished last in the AFC East at 4-13 in the 2024 season. 

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The New England Patriots have agreed to sign Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs to a three-year, $69 million contract, according to multiple reports. The deal reportedly guarantees Diggs $26 million. 

Diggs, 31, is coming off a season cut short by an ACL tear in Week 8. 

The injury ended Diggs' first and only season with the Houston Texans, and he finished with 47 catches for 496 yards and three touchdowns, all career lows. 

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Diggs arrived in Houston from the Buffalo Bills via trade after four productive seasons with Josh Allen. As part of the trade, the Texans voided the final three years of Diggs' contract so he'd become a free agent after one year with the team.

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Prior to 2024, Diggs had six straight seasons of 1,000 or more receiving yards dating back to his time with the Minnesota Vikings.

As a seasoned veteran, Diggs will join an offense led by second-year quarterback Drake Maye and first-year head coach Mike Vrabel. 

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It may not surprise anybody, but Tom Brady has finally admitted that he and Bill Belichick weren't the best of buds ahead of his move to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Brady, of course, spent the first 20 years of his illustrious 23-year career with the New England Patriots and Belichick was his coach.

The duo found massive amounts of success, winning six of their nine Super Bowls played in; but it's long been reported, and even said by owner Robert Kraft, that the two had some tension which eventually led to their divorce.

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In his most recent edition of his newsletter, Brady confirmed that to be the case, even admitting that his impending free agency was on his mind.

"It was a creeping decision that lived passively in the back of mind for [two to three] years. Until March of 2020 when a whirlwind of a few days made me realize that a decision was coming sooner rather than later," Brady wrote.

"After 20 years together, a natural tension had developed between where Coach Belichick and I were headed in our careers, and where the Patriots were moving as a franchise. It was the kind of tension that could only be resolved by some kind of split or one of us reassessing our priorities."

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And that's exactly what happened. Brady went to Tampa, where he won his seventh and final Super Bowl.

The two appear to have made amends; Belichick was invited to Brady's roast and Patriots Hall of Fame induction. The two reportedly spoke about the open Las Vegas Raiders job (Brady owns a stake in the team) before they hired Pete Carroll, and Belichick eventually moved on to the University of North Carolina.

They are undoubtedly the greatest quarterback-coach duo of all time, but even their success couldn't get them through the most difficult times; just a quick separation and time.

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Former New England Patriots No. 1 overall pick Kenneth Sims died on Friday at the age of 65. 

Sims had been battling illness and died in his sleep, per 247sports.

Sims, who was the first pick in the 1982 NFL Draft, played eight years in the NFL, all with the Patriots. Across 74 career games, Sims recorded 17 sacks. 

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Throughout his NFL career, Sims dealt with numerous injuries. The only season in which he played in every game was 1984. 

The defensive end underwent back surgery in 1987, which limited him to 12 games. The following season, in 1988, he ruptured his Achilles tendon and played in just one game. 

Sims played 15 games in 1989 before a knee injury sidelined him for the last game, and he then retired. 

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When Sims was drafted in 1982, he became the third Texas Longhorn to be chosen with the top pick. 

After Sims backed up future Pro Football Hall of Famers Steve McMichael and Bill Acker during his sophomore season at Texas, he burst onto the scene in his junior season. Sims recorded 131 tackles and was named All-Southwest Conference and an All-American. 

As a senior, Sims was named All-Southwest Conference and an All-American again, in addition to being the first Texas Longhorn to ever win the Lombardi Award. 

The Lombardi Award is given to the college football lineman who best exemplifies legendary NFL head coach Vince Lombardi, focusing on character, discipline and excellence.

Also in his senior year, Sims was the top defensive vote-getter for the Heisman Trophy after having helped Texas to a 10-1-1 record and a Cotton Bowl win in 1982. 

During his collegiate career, Sims had 322 tackles, 29 sacks, 50 tackles for loss, 15 forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries and three blocked kicks.

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Bill Belichick has always asked a lot of his players while coaching the New England Patriots, whether it was a Super Bowl, a regular-season game or just a training camp practice. 

One former Patriot said he witnessed Belichick’s stern coaching almost immediately after getting drafted. 

"I guess we’ll start with how Bill put me in fat camp," ex-Pats running back Stevan Ridley, a third-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by New England, said on the "Games with Names" podcast with Julian Edelman. 

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Ridley said Belichick put him in "fat camp" because he was "overweight" for an NFL running back coming out of LSU. 

So, how much weight did Belichick want Ridley to cut? 

"You have that meeting where you come in there, and you’re a rookie. And he gives you your playing weight. And he brought me into the office because I go into the weight room, and [former Patriots strength coach Harold] Nash said, ‘Hop on the scale, Ridley,'" Ridley told Edelman.

"I hopped on the scale, and I’m about 235, 238 pounds. I played at LSU around 230 as a running back. Eight pounds is a lot, bro." 

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Ridley said the Patriots obviously knew he was a bigger running back, and he clearly did something to be drafted in the third round. 

But Ridley claims Belichick told him he had to get his playing weight down to 220 pounds. 

"How? I said, ‘You’re tripping, bro.' I said, ‘Nah,’" Ridley recalled. "[Nash] said, ‘Don’t ask me. I’m telling you what the boss man said.’"

Ridley went to Belichick’s office to hear from the head coach himself. 

"I walked in and said, ‘Coach, I need to talk to you about this weight. And he said, ‘What’s the number? I can’t really remember what I had.' Two-twenty, that’s impossible. And he looked at me, and he said, ‘Well, Rid, I mean, really, I think it’s only about $563 per pound per day that you’re overweight. So, it’s really up to you.’ 

"I can do quick math. I’m a third-round draft pick, I ain’t got money like that. So, fat camp I went."

Ridley got to working on his weight, and it paid dividends after he made it to Belichick’s preferred playing weight of 220. 

Despite what Ridley thought at first, it worked out for him. 

"Quick as a cat, man," he said, laughing, when Edelman asked how he felt. "Freaking nasty, dude. Once I got to that playing weight, I was like, ‘Hey, Bill knows what the hell he’s talking about.’"

Ridley played four years in New England, running for 2,817 yards, including 1,263 his sophomore campaign during the 2012 season, which included 12 of his 22 career rushing touchdowns with the Patriots. Ridley was a part of the 2014 Patriots squad that shockingly defeated the Seattle Seahawks in the 2015 Super Bowl thanks to Malcolm Butler’s goal-line interception. 

Ridley then played for the New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers after his Super Bowl-winning final season in New England.

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Despite a nearly 50-year age gap, Bill Belichick and girlfriend Jordon Hudson may tie the knot.

According to Page Six, the UNC head coach and former cheerleader have "definitely discussed marriage," and it "isn't out of the question."

And, yes, "they would definitely get a prenup," the report says, citing a source.

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There is no rush, though, and Hudson "hasn’t put any pressure on Bill at all to propose, and she feels like it will happen when and if the time is right."

Belichick, 72, and Hudson, 23, met on an flight headed to Boston in 2021 and apparently immediately hit it off.

Hudson celebrated their "meetiversary" on Tuesday. Belichick signed one of her college textbooks on the flight as they sat next to one another.

"Jordon, Thanks for giving me a course on logic! Safe travels!" Belichick wrote in the book, signed Feb. 11, 2021.

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The two were first publicly linked last year, three years after meeting on the flight. They apparently had gotten more serious after his breakup with Linda Holliday in 2022.

Belichick was spotted at a cheer competition last year in support of Hudson. Afterward, she attended Tom Brady's Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony in June, shortly before reports surfaced she and Belichick had been dating.

The 48-year age gap was the butt of one of Snoop Dogg's jokes during the NFL Honors.

"I've been a football fan for a long, long time. … Bill Belichick's girlfriend wasn't even born yet," Snoop joked.

At the honors, Belichick wore all eight of his Super Bowl rings, including the pair he won with the New York Giants as their defensive coordinator. Hudson wore a national championship ring for cheerleading she won in 2021.

At Sunday's Super Bowl, Hudson wore a customized jacket with logos of the six Super Bowls Belichick won with the Pats.

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New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, and his old friend President Donald Trump will be there too. 

Kraft gave his thoughts on Trump becoming the first sitting president to attend the big game in an interview with Fox News Digital. 

"It just shows you that maybe the NFL and the Super Bowl are important if we got the president of the United States coming as a guest," Kraft said. 

Kraft said he donated to Trump in the past during an interview on "The Breakfast Club" in October. The owner, who has an estimated $11.8 billion net worth, said he first met Trump in the 1990s.

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"Donald Trump became a social friend in the early ‘90s, when I was going down to Florida. And then when my wife … died 13 years ago, he was one of four or five people who reached out to me and was really, really nice," Kraft said.

"The only donation I ever gave to him was he called me when he got elected, and I made a strong donation to his inauguration. I couldn’t believe it. It was like having someone who was a drunk fraternity brother become president of the United States."

However, the owner said he distanced himself from Trump after the events of Jan. 6, 2021.

"I will say this," Kraft said. "I was very upset (with) what happened Jan. 6. And I haven’t talked to [Trump] since then."

The Patriots have gone to other lengths to distance themselves as a franchise from the former president as well. 

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In May 2021, the team and Kraft denied allegations he and Trump attempted to pay a U.S. senator money to drop an investigation into a cheating scandal involving the team, according to a report by ESPN. 

The report alleged Trump met with Sen. Arlen Specter in 2008 and offered him "money in Palm Beach" if he dropped his investigation into the Spygate scandal, after which the Patriots were disciplined by the NFL for filming a rival team’s coaching signals. 

Trump had not started his political career at the time and was well known as the star of "The Apprentice." ESPN says Trump was acting on behalf of Kraft, a claim those close to the former president and the team deny.

"Mr Kraft is not aware of any involvement of Trump on this topic, and he did not have any other engagement with Specter or his staff," a team spokesperson told ESPN. 

A mutual friend of Trump and Kraft will be at the Super Bowl as well, but for work-related reasons. 

Tom Brady will be broadcasting his first Super Bowl as the color commentator for Fox's broadcast of the game, capping the former quarterback's first season in the booth. 

Kraft praised Brady's broadcasting skills in an interview with Fox News Digital. 

"I think the way he has presented the nuances of the game, things that fans would never see, is truly special and unique, and Fox was brilliant to attract him," Kraft said. 

Brady previously received praise for his broadcasting during a crucial moment of the Washington Commanders’ NFC divisional-round victory over the Detroit Lions Jan. 18.

The Commanders were up three points with under 14:30 to play. They decided to go for it on 4th and 2 from the Lions’ 5-yard line. A stop for the Lions and they would have gotten the ball back with ample time to either tie the game or take the lead.

Brady noticed something wrong about the Lions’ defense as the Commanders broke their huddle.

"Need a timeout, 12 on the field, timeout," Brady said. "Timeout! Timeout! Nope. Nope. Oh no! What are they doing?"

The Lions were penalized for having 12 men on the field. The penalty gave the Commanders a new set of downs. Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. found the end zone two plays later and put Washington up 38-28. The Commanders won the game 45-28.

Brady received praise on social media for pointing out the Lions’ illegal defense. 

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Patrick Mahomes is off to the best start to an NFL career ever.

With a win Sunday, not only would he be the first quarterback to win three Super Bowls in a row, he would become the first quarterback to win four Lombardi Trophies before turning 30.

While Tom Brady still has a hold on the title of the NFL's GOAT, Mahomes could unseat Brady.

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But Danny Amendola, who won two rings with Brady, said a win Sunday may be necessary to get the conversation going.

"I think the first step would be to three-peat. Would be something nobody's ever done before," Amendola said of his fellow Texas Tech alum in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.

"He's a great quarterback, man. Time will tell. He's still young, gonna play for maybe another 10 years at a high level. It's wild, and it's scary to know he's been to so many Super Bowls. And he's taken his team to a championship level every year. It's up to him. It's great to be a fan, to watch, to support. I'm a friend of his. We went to the same university. So, I'll always support Patrick. It's great to see him be so successful."

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Amendola is also a fan of Olipop, a fiber-filled, prebiotic soda with no more than 50 calories per can. 

"I've been a huge fan of them for a while now. It has classic soda taste with the benefits of a functional drink. So, it's good for you. It tastes good. They have 15-plus flavors. Can find it at Whole Foods, Target, a bunch of places. It's a great way to drink soda," Amendola said.

Like most former players, Amendola appreciates the Chiefs.

"It's so hard to get to the playoffs, to put together a successful season. To get to the big game is everyone's goal, and to win it is unbelievable. I know how hard it is to get there," he said.

But he even took it a step further. While Amendola owes much of his success to Brady, he acknowledged he is rooting for Mahomes this weekend.

"I want them to do it," he said. "I want them to be successful and give us something to cheer about."

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After not working in the NFL this season for the first time in nearly five decades, Bill Belichick had to remind everyone who the GOAT is.

Belichick attended the NFL Honors wearing all eight of his Super Bowl rings, but his girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, was also showing off some jewelry of her own.

It was initially thought Hudson was wearing one of Belichick's eight rings, six of which he won as Patriots head coach and two he won as Giants defensive coordinator.

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However, Belichick was actually wearing all eight of his rings. The one ring Hudson was wearing, she said, was the national championship ring she won with the Bridgewater State University cheerleading team.

Hudson won the title as a member of the 2021 team, according to her Instagram bio. The team also won the national title in 2011, 2014, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

She also said she picked her silver dress for a reason.

"My antics often go over everyone's head. … I chose this gown because it is reminiscent of a Lombardi Trophy," Hudson revealed.

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The couple attended Thursday night's NFL Honors in New Orleans roughly two months after Belichick took the North Carolina head coaching job.

Belichick, 72, and the 24-year-old former cheerleader were first publicly linked last year, three years after meeting on a flight to Boston.

She attended Tom Brady's Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony in June, shortly before reports surfaced she and Belichick had been dating.

The 48-year age gap was the butt of one of Snoop Dogg's jokes during the NFL Honors.

"I've been a football fan for a long, long time. … Bill Belichick's girlfriend wasn't even born yet," Snoop joked.

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The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 was announced on Thursday, and it features just four men.

Jared Allen, Antonio Gates, Eric Allen and Sterling Sharpe will receive busts in Canton this summer, beating out several other candidates.

It could be argued that several others are just as deserving, but most notably, Eli Manning, Adam Vinatieri and Terrell Suggs did not make the cut this go-around.

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Manning's New York Giants kept their reaction pretty blunt, simply posting a raised-eyebrow emoji on X.

Manning ranks 11th all-time in passing yards and touchdowns, but the main argument is his two Super Bowl runs.

"Absurd. Eli beat Tom Brady twice in the Super Bowl. There aren't 5 guys in the history of the game who you'd take over Eli Manning in the 4th quarter of a playoff game. Pure silliness," wrote one Giants fan.

"My favorite QB…He took s--- his whole career and he still is…Man was a legend and never got the credit," wrote one more.

The anger was the same for perhaps both Patriots and Colts fans for Vinatieri, who holds the NFL records for the most field goal makes and attempts in NFL history. He also knocked two game-winning field goals in the closing seconds of Super Bowls and was lights out for his entire 24-year career.

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In fact, many feel that if there were to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, it should have been Vinatieri.

"adam vinatieri not a first ballot HOFer? throw the whole thing away," wrote an X user.

Another said, "Vinatieri got hosed. What a joke."

Meanwhile, even though Jared Allen ranks 12th all time in sacks and got in, Suggs being in eighth is not yet enough. His longtime teammate in stalwart offensive tackle Marshal Yanda also came up short.

"Suggs and Yanda snubbed, Lamar losing, MVP I’m done," wrote a Ravens fan with a classic angry gif.

It should be noted that those three were all in their first year of eligibility, so perhaps the voters didn't want this year's class to wait any longer. Other misses include Reggie Wayne and Steve Smith Sr.

It will not be easy for those guys to get in next year, as Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald and Jason Witten will be eligible for induction.

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Bill Belichick is one of the rare football guys with too many rings for one hand.

Belichick is an eight-time Super Bowl winner, winning six as head coach of the New England Patriots and two more while he was the New York Giants' defensive coordinator.

After being out of the NFL for the 2024 season, his first season away from a sideline in nearly five decades, Belichick made the rounds at Thursday's NFL Honors.

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Belichick appeared roughly two months after he was hired as head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Despite being in the college ranks now, Belichick had to remind everyone who the GOAT is. So, he displayed his Super Bowl rings on his right hand.

And he gave one ring to his girlfriend to show off while attending with him.

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Belichick and his girlfriend, 24-year-old former cheerleader Jordon Hudson, were first publicly linked last year, three years after meeting on a flight to Boston.

She attended Tom Brady's Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony in June of last year, shortly before reports surfaced she and Belichick had been dating.

TMZ reported at the time that their first meeting ended with Belichick writing a note in her college textbook.

"Jordon, Thanks for giving me a course on logic! Safe travels!" Belichick appeared to write in the book.

Hudson showed support for Belichick as the UNC coaching rumors swirled and seemed to confirm the two are "overtly committed" to North Carolina.

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Seven years after Malcolm Butler was mysteriously benched in the New England Patriots’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII, the star cornerback is choosing to remain silent on the matter. 

Butler, who won two Super Bowls during his tenure with the Patriots, which included his game-ending interception on the one-yard line against the Seattle Seahawks, has maintained all these years later that his absence in the Super Bowl in 2018 was simply a "coach’s decision." 

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"It was just a coach’s decision," Butler said during an appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub this week.

"It’s just loyalty. Nobody embarrassing nobody. It is what it is."

Butler came on the field for just special teams play, but never played any defensive snaps during the game. Theories about why Bill Belichick benched Butler have been floated through the years, but the former player denied them during Tuesday’s appearance, including speculation that he was benched for attending parties before the game. 

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"No, I think a ring is more important than a party. I can do that for the rest of my life. In fact, I did last night," he said. "We are grown men. We do got a time to be at work and a time to not be messing off."

The mystery behind Butler’s benching was discussed in Apple TV+’s docuseries "Dynasty." 

Owner Robert Kraft said he has been told it was not "football-related." 

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"What has been told to me is that there was something personal going on between Bill and Malcolm that was not football-related," he said in the documentary, via AL.com. "I always felt that every decision Bill had made had been to put what was in the best interests of the team first and put emotion aside. But with Malcolm, he did just the opposite."

The following season, Butler signed a contract with the Tennessee Titans, where he played under head coach Mike Vrabel. 

Butler praised Vrabel’s coaching abilities as the former Patriot returns to New England this season as head coach. 

"He’s a great coach, he’s a players’ coach – he feels [the] players. He has the same philosophy as Bill Belichick, but he’s a little nice," Butler said of Vrabel with a laugh. 

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The NFL team that wins the Super Bowl at the end of the season is handed the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Lombardi was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers when he led the team to two straight victories over the American Football League champions – the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders, respectively. It wasn’t until the third NFL-AFL championship game that the term Super Bowl was used.

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Lombardi’s Packers were one of the most dominant teams of the era. He had led Green Bay to three other NFL championships before the idea of an NFL vs. AFL was conceived.

Because of the history, the Super Bowl trophy was named after Lombardi. It’s one of the most prestigious trophies in sports, next to Lord Stanley’s Cup and the FIFA World Cup Trophy.

Legendary head coach Bill Belichick discussed the Super Bowl with Jim Gray on the "Let’s Go!" podcast. He told Gray it was the players who really deserve the credit for the Super Bowl victory. The legendary sportscaster reminded Belichick that it was Lombardi who the trophy was named for and not Bart Starr, who was the MVP of the first two games.

"Maybe they should name it the Brady Trophy," Belichick joked, referencing New England Patriots legend Tom Brady. "He won seven of them."

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Belichick said teams can’t win without good players. He said he learned that when he was a defensive coordinator under Bill Parcells with the New York Giants and when he helped put together a tremendous Hall of Fame defense with the Patriots.

"You can't win games without good players. I don't care who the coach is. It's impossible. You can't win without good players," he said. "I found that out when I had (Lawrence) Taylor, (Carl) Banks, Harry Carson, Jim Burt, Everson Walls, all those guys with the Giants.

"Same thing when we got good at Cleveland and at New England it’s (Willie) McGinest, it's (Mike) Vrabel, it's (Tedy) Bruschi, it's Corey Dillon, it's Randy Moss, Troy Brown, Lawyer Malloy, Ty Law, Rodney Harrison. Those are guys that won the games, man. I didn't make any tackles. I didn't make any kicks. That was (Adam) Vinatieri, made that kick in four inches of snow."

Brady and Belichick won six Super Bowl titles together with the Patriots. The star quarterback then won one more with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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New England Patriots veteran safety Jabrill Peppers pleaded guilty to cocaine possession in court on Thursday as part of an Oct. 5, 2024, domestic violence incident. 

Peppers, who is facing more charges, should have the charge cleared as long as he finishes a four-month probationary stint without reoffending, per the New York Post. 

However, the 29-year-old, who served as a captain this past season for the Patriots, is also being accused of strangulation and assault and battery after a woman told authorities that he pushed her head up against a wall, choked her and took her clothes off before forcing her outside. 

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Peppers has pleaded not guilty to those charges, saying that his reported girlfriend was acting "erratic" at the time while also being intoxicated. He alleges she got angry after he declined to have unprotected sex with her.

Marc Brofsky, Peppers’ attorney, said in October that there is "videotaped evidence" which "sheds real doubt on the allegations."

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Patriots owner Robert Kraft noted the team was looking into the incident after Peppers was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list at the time. He later returned to the Patriots in December, where he remained a captain under now-former head coach Jerod Mayo. 

Peppers, who hails from East Orange, New Jersey, saw jury selection for his trial begin on Thursday.

A Cleveland Browns first-round pick in 2017, Peppers played two seasons in Cleveland before being traded to the New York Giants, who play not too far from where he grew up.

Peppers was part of the infamous 2019 Odell Beckham Jr. trade to the Browns. 

He played three seasons for the Giants before joining the Patriots for the 2022 season. This past season was underwhelming for the whole franchise as they finished 4-13, leading to Kraft’s decision to remove Mayo as head coach after one season.

Peppers finished the year with 40 combined tackles and one interception over six games.

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The New England Patriots’ head coach choice was a familiar face, and Mike Vrabel kept that trend going with his offensive coordinator hire heading into the 2025 season. 

The Patriots are expected to reunite with Josh McDaniels as their offensive coordinator, a role he previously had with the organization, per multiple reports. Barstool Sports first reported McDaniels returning to the Patriots was imminent. 

This will be the third time McDaniels returns to the Patriots, though the first with Vrabel at the helm and quarterback Drake Maye to mold after his rookie campaign in 2024. 

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McDaniels was among the offensive coordinator candidates the Patriots had been interviewing, which included Thomas Brown, the passing game coordinator for the Chicago Bears, and Los Angeles Chargers passing game coordinator Marcus Brady, per ESPN. 

McDaniels was out of the game in 2024 after being fired mid-season by the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2023 campaign. He was also head coach in 2022, but things did not pan out, and owner Mark Davis made the call to move on. 

While the Raiders remain searching for their own head coach after the firing of Antonio Pierce, who served on an interim basis after McDaniels’ departure in 2023, the Patriots found their guy in Vrabel after parting ways with Jerod Mayo following his first-and-only season. 

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Additionally, though Vrabel and McDaniels have never coached together, they have a connection with their time together as player and coach respectively, when they won three Super Bowls during the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era. 

McDaniels’ big break into the NFL came with the Patriots in 2001 as an assistant under Belichick. He eventually worked his way up to the point where the Denver Broncos hired him in 2009 to become their next head coach.

However, that was short-lived, as McDaniels was fired in December 2010, when he would eventually return to the Patriots after being the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator in 2011.

McDaniels would enjoy his time as New England’s coordinator from then until making the move to the Raiders for his second attempt at head coaching. During the 2021 season, McDaniels was also tasked with grooming Mac Jones, the team’s first-round quarterback choice in the NFL Draft, and he would help them earn a playoff berth. 

The Patriots will hope McDaniels can lead the way for Maye, the No. 3 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft who showed spurts of greatness in his first NFL season despite the team’s overall struggles. Maye threw for 2,276 yards with 15 touchdowns to 10 interceptions with two rushing touchdowns on 421 yards over 12 games. 

As Vrabel continues to build out his coaching staff this offseason, bringing in a familiar face with an extensive track record is something that could go a long way for a Patriots team that continues to look for its next dynasty.

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The Kraft family is now reportedly looking to get into politics.

Josh Kraft, the son of New England Patriots owner Robert, has decided to run for mayor of Boston, according to multiple reports.

Kraft himself has not publicly commented on the reports, which say that an announcement is expected next month.

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The city elected Michelle Wu in 2021 in a race against Annissa Essaibi George. Wu earned 64.0% of the vote to George's 35.6%. Wu replaced Marty Walsh, who served as the city's mayor for the previous two terms.

Ed Flynn, the former president of the Boston City Council and son of former mayor Raymond, has declined to run, while Jorge Mendoza-Iturralde has declared to run.

Kraft is currently the president of the organization's foundation and runs the family's philanthropic initiatives. He also worked at the city's Boys & Girls Club for 30 years.

Robert bought the Patriots in 1994 and helped turn the team into one of the greatest dynasties in sports history. Under his leadership, the team has been to 10 Super Bowls, winning six of them.

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An illegal immigrant was recently caught using a taxpayer-funded migrant shelter in the Boston suburbs for criminal activity, including storing a weapon and nearly $1 million worth of drugs.

Leonardo Andujar Sanchez, a 28-year-old illegal immigrant from the Dominican Republic, is facing criminal charges in federal court for illegally possessing an AR-15 and ammunition and over 400 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute, according to a statement by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

Kraft's reported decision to run for office comes amid President Donald Trump's inauguration, although despite previous support, Robert recently said he has not spoken with Trump since the events of Jan. 6, 2021, unfolded.

Tom Brady told Howard Stern on Sirius XM in April 2020 that he chose to distance himself from Trump when the former president launched his presidential campaign in 2015 and asked the former NFL star to speak on his behalf at the 2016 Republican National Convention.

Fox News' Jackson Thompson and Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.

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Ryan Clark, a one-time Super Bowl champion and current ESPN NFL analyst, ripped  the New England Patriots for how they complied with the Rooney Rule during their head-coaching search.

The NFL’s Rooney Rule, which was created by the NFL’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee in 2003, requires each team with a head-coaching vacancy to interview at least two or more diverse candidates for the job. The rule expanded in 2022 to include interviews for women as part of the "minority candidate definition."

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The Patriots hired Mike Vrabel as their next coach about a week after firing Jerod Mayo. The team interviewed Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich to comply with the Rooney Rule – all done before the playoffs were over.

"I think this kind of puts a light on the Rooney Rule, which, to me, the New England Patriots made a mockery of," Clark said Thursday on "Inside the NFL." "To interview Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich, two coaches who aren’t even in football right now, just to fulfill a quota. 

"The Rooney Rule was put in place so some of these minority coaches could get opportunities to get in front of some of the executives and some of these owners, that truly were looking to give the job to the best person. Now, I want to make it clear – I believe we have moved to a point where organizations will hire the best person they feel for the job. But let’s not make coaches, who have worked their entire lives for this opportunity, be the token interview.

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"I think a better solution is for teams who want to skip the Rooney Rule, like the New England Patriots probably would have, because they wanted Mike Vrabel, allow them to hire someone on the lower level that reports directly to the head coach, reports to directly to the offensive coordinator, so they could get some of that tutelage that allows their resumes and their careers to build.

"Let’s stop with the bull-crap interviews just to say we did what the Rooney Rule was supposed to do. When it was implemented initially, I believe it worked. It has now run its course and become something that is a joke to NFL and NFL coaches, and more importantly, to the people it was supposed to help."

Vrabel has a long history with the Patriots, having won three Super Bowl titles with the team during his playing career.

He started his coaching career with the Tennessee Titans in 2018. He was 54-45 with the Titans and led them to three playoff appearances, including an AFC Championship appearance.

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