Patriots Owner Robert Kraft ‘Excited’ For ‘Number 7’
FOXBORO — Since purchasing the New England Patriots in 1994, team owner and CEO Robert Kraft has overseen the most successful run of any NFL franchise. The Patriots have made the playoffs 22 times during his 28 years as owner, winning 19 AFC East titles [including 11 in a row from 2009-19], 10 conference championships and six Super Bowls.
Simply put, success of that type is a hard habit to break. It is also what keeps Kraft focused on his greatest professional goal.
The Pats owner spoke to the media alongside friend and Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin on Tuesday, in conjunction with the ‘Merch Madness: Fan Gear Giveaway’ event inside the Patriots’ Socios.com Field House.
While expressing his anticipation for the upcoming season, Rubin stepped in and said [as transcribed by Mark Daniels, MassLive] “One thing I know about you, you won’t be satisfied if one thing doesn’t happen, right? What’s it that makes it all worthwhile?”
“Number Seven,” Kraft said with a knowing grin, referring to the six Super Bowl banners currently hanging at Gillette Stadium.
For much of Kraft’s prolific run in the Patriots’ owners box, the team was under the direction of head coach Bill Belichick and led on the field by quarterback Tom Brady. However, for the past four years, [beginning with Brady’s final season with the team in 2019], New England has yet to taste playoff victory. This is a fact which does not sit well with Robert Kraft.
In New England’s last postseason victory came in Super Bowl LIII, capping the 2018 season. They lost both playoff openers in 2019 and 2021, while missing the playoffs in 2020 and 2022. While some may consider frustration from a four-year playoff victory drought to be an embarrassment of riches, Kraft [like all Patriots fans] is not so eager to surrender his expectations for success.
Still, the the 82-year-old is savvy enough to see that the foundation is being laid for another prosperous period in Patriots history. After a disappointing 8-9 finish, culminating in their second playoff miss in three years, the Pats invested in coaching staff infrastructure, securing the services of offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien and offensive line coach Adrian Klemm. On defense, they granted both a promotion and pay raise for linebackers coach Jerod Mayo. In terms of on-field personnel, New England provided quarterback Mac Jones with some much-needed help on offense by signing free agent pass-catchers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mike Gesicki. Lastly, the Pats bolstered their defensive backfield by selecting Oregon standout cornerback Christian Gonzalez in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Though their offseason moves guarantee neither a playoff berth, nor a championship banner, Kraft is both encouraged and excited by the progress shown by the team during initial offseason workouts.
“I’m really excited for this upcoming season and training camp. I think we’ve had a great offseason,” Kraft said. “I like our draft. We probably play in the toughest division in football, but I love our team.”
Accordingly, Kraft will be among the most ardent observers when New England holds its first training camp practice on July 26 on the fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium.
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