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U.S. President Donald Trump and the NFL have long been intertwined, from Trump's during his days as a USFL owner to his critical comments about player protests during the first term of his presidency. Trump's relationship with the NFL isn't all negative though. The 45th and 47th president has a connection to a handful of major NFL personalities, including owners and quarterbacks. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have been connected to Trump in the past, but what about the other key cog of the ' dynasty? Here's what you need to know about the relationship between Trump and Patriots owner Robert Kraft. MORE: Are Donald Trump and Robert Kraft friends? Despite some rocky moments over the years, Trump and Kraft appear to at least be casual friends today. While Kraft said in 2024 that he hadn't spoken to Trump in a handful of years, the two were cordial with each other at different times both before and after the 2016 election, and they have been spotted with each other during Trump's second term. A recent appearance by Kraft in Trump's box for the premiere of "Melania," a film about First Lady Melania Trump, indicates any https://www.brownswear.com/collections/jordan-wilkins-jersey falling out between the president and the Patriots owner is firmly in the past, and the two are friendly at the moment at the very least. . with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft in the presidential box, as they watch First Lady Melania Trump during her remarks at the Screening of the Film "Melania" at the The Trump- Kennedy Center in Washington. Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) Here's a closer look at how their relationship has evolved over the years. MORE: Donald Trump-Robert Kraft relationship How Trump and Kraft first connected Kraft said in 2024 that Trump became a "social friend" in the early 1990s when the now-Patriots owner spent more time in Florida. Kraft would purchase the Patriots not long after in 1994. While the exact origin of their friendship isn't known, Trump and Kraft remained casual friends at the very least in the two decades that followed. Here are more details on just how close the two became before Trump became president. Trump and Kraft before presidency Kraft attended Trump's wedding to now-First Lady Melania Trump in 2005. It's unclear exactly how close Trump and Kraft were right before Trump's entrance into politics, but the two appeared to be very close in the early 2010s. Kraft said Trump called him "once a week for the whole year" after his wife, Myra Kraft, died in 2011. "He called me once a week for the whole year, the most depre sing year of my life when I was down and out," Kraft told the New York Daily News. "He called me every week to see how I was doing, invited me to things, tried to lift my spirits. He was one of five or six people that were like that. I remember that." Trump and Kraft were spotted on the sideline before Patriots games at Gillette Stadium on at least three occasions, including before a 2006 wild-card round matchup between New England and the . MORE: Trump and Kraft during first presidency As Trump's first inauguration approached in 2017, Kraft called the president-elect a "wonderful friend" and shared optimism about his proposed policies. "Loyalty is important to me, and he has been a wonderful friend," Kraft . "I think one of the great problems in the country today is the working poor, the middle cla s, that there hasnt been growth in income on an equal basis, and I really think the policies hes going to bring to bear are going to be great for the economic side of America." Kraft later said he donated to Trump's inauguration fund after the 2016 election. "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," Kraft said while appearing on "The Breakfast Club." The Patriots owner was in attendance when Trump was inaugurated in 2017, and Kraft visited the White House with the team in 2017 to celebrate the franchise's Super Bowl win. When the Patriots won again two years later, the team did not visit the White House. While the Patriots' absence in 2019 can't nece sarily be attributed to Kraft himself, the Patriots owner and the president appeared to grow more distant as the term progre sed. Trump-Kraft falling out Kraft revealed in the years after Trump's first term ended that he hadn't spoken with the 45th and 47th president since the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol in 2021. I will say this: I was very upset [with] what happened Jan. 6. And I havent talked to [Trump] since then," Kraft said in 2024, shortly before his reconnection with Trump. The seeds of the falling out between Trump and Kraft reportedly began long before 2021, as the Kraft privately slammed Trump's criticism of NFL players who took a knee in protest during the national anthem as "divisive" and "horrible." Kraft also criticized Trump publicly for his comments about player protests, saying in a statement, "I am deeply disappointed by the tone of the comments made by the President" in 2017, but the report indicated that Kraft was even more frustrated with Trump behind closed doors than he publicly let on." MORE: Are Donald Trump and Robert Kraft still friends today? Trump and Kraft appear to have reconnected in recent years. According to Kraft, their reconnection might have started at the Alfred E. Smith Dinner in October of 2024, an event typically attended by both major presidential candidates in an election year. Kraft said he and Trump spoke about Israeli hostages being held by Hamas when he and the then-candidate attended the dinner. "Trump told me a year ago, If Im elected President...Ill make sure the hostages are released,'" Kraft in October of 2025. in the spring of 2025 that Trump and Kraft were supposedly "back in touch," adding that they became connected when Paul Wei s lawfirm chair Brad Karp had Kraft reach out to Trump to help broker a deal to protect the firm. In January of 2026, Kraft attended the premiere of "Melania," a film about Trump's wife and U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, alongside the president, reinforcing that the two are in positive terms. IYER: Is Robert Kraft a Democrat or Republican? Kraft has not declared himself either a Democrat or Republican, but he has donated significant amounts of money to Democrats over the years. found that Kraft donated more to Democratic PACs than any other NFL owner from 2008-14, and reported that records show Kraft has "donated almost exclusively to Democrats." Kraft's son, Jonathan, is a Democrat who unsucce sfully ran for mayor of Boston in 2025 and staunchly opposed Trump while doing so. So, why has Kraft viewed Trump favorably at times? The Patriots owner said before Trump's inauguration in 2017, "Loyalty is important to me, and [Trump] has been a wonderful friend, indicating that their friendship supersedes political leanings. Even so, Kraft praised some of Trump's policy ideas at the time. Trump, meanwhile, was a Democrat himself for much of the 2000s, when he was friends with Kraft. MORE: Donald Trump i sues with NFL Trump and the NFL have had a fractured relationship for decades, starting with Trumps role in the USFLs lawsuit against the league in the 1980s. As an owner of a USFL team, Trump was one of the proponents of an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL that aimed to either secure a much-needed payout for the league or force the NFL to work out a merger with the USFL. While the USFL won the lawsuit, the ruling found that the NFL was not responsible for the USFLs financial struggles and awarded the fledgling league almost no money. The USFL folded shortly after. Trump made multiple attempts to buy NFL teams, first unsucce sfully trying to convince George Irsay to sell the in 1981 and later attempting also unsucce sfully to purchase the in 2014. After Trump became president, he sharply criticized players who protested by taking a knee during the national anthem before games. While the reasons behind the protests varied, many said they were taking a stand against police brutality. "Wouldnt you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, say, Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! Hes fired. Hes fired! Trump said at a rally, sparking backlash. In 2025, Trump called the NFL crazy for choosing Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl 60 halftime performer, and he has been critical of the leagues new kickoff rules introduced in 2024 and 2025. Trumps relationship with the NFL remains a love-hate situation. For all of his criticism, the president frequently shows interest in the league from attending Super Bowl 59 and appearing in the broadcast booth during a game in 2025 to encouraging John Harbaugh to become the next head coach of the . MORE: Donald Trump net worth Trump's net worth is an estimated $7.3 billion, according to . Trump's net worth declined during his first presidential term, but it rocketed up in 2025, with Forbes citing a cryptocurrency venture that "exploded" after his election win and fading legal i sues. Robert Kraft net worth Kraft has an estimated net worth of $13.8 billion, according to , making him the 202nd-wealthiest person in the world. Kraft purchased the Patriots for $172 million in 1994, but the franchise is now worth an estimated $9 billion. https://www.brownswear.com/collections/danthony-bell-jersey

NFL free agency officially kicks off Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET. Someone forgot to tell all the decision-makers, agents, players and media working feverishly over the weekend. The league's three-day negotiating window before free agency opened Saturday, and this weekend included more action than the previous two years combined. Eight players that were on our agreed to new deals with their teams: , , , , , , and will be staying put. There were also the typical reports of heavy interest in various free agents. These are usually thinly disguised items of propaganda spread by nervous agents. But this weekend had a new twist: The backroom agreements from previous years found their way into the public. Official contract terms and agreements are supposed to be an impropriety before free agency starts. (Even though we knew that all those 4:01 p.m. deals from previous years didn't magically close in one minute.) There was no more tacit understanding from agents and reporters to stay away from saying a deal was all but "done." , , , and are some of the free agents that appear to be accounted for. Smith said goodbye to fans in advance for his expected trip to the NFC West. Former cornerback took it one step further, saying on the record he was headed to Philadelphia. (His agent tried to backtrack on Twitter.) It will be interesting to see if the league office has any reaction to all the early deals. All of this action comes on the heels of a week that included and suddenly traded to new teams. Players like , and are expected to be cut Monday. and have uncertain futures. In short: We're just getting started. Here's what we learned over the weekend: Advantage Revis: Cornerback market is dire Our No. 1 ranked free agent cornerback, , told all sorts of people he's headed to Philadelphia. Our No. 2 cornerback is returning to San Diego, while No. 3 on the list will stay with Houston. This means that guys like , , , and are the top names out there. Maxwell will step out of the shadows of the rest of the Legion of Boom and be paid like a superstar. At least he's heading to a city that is sure to set reasonable expectations for him and be forgiving if he starts slow. The cornerback signings make this year's watch that much more fascinating. Can you imagine how much Revis would be paid on the open market with all this cap space floating out there? The are trying to hammer out a new agreement with him before the new league year starts and there is at least . Once New England sees some of the contracts out there, perhaps they really could swallow Revis' $20 million salary that is currently on the books. The deals that aren't quite deals yet It feels strange to give analysis for contracts like Maxwell' <a href="https://www.chibearswear.com/collections/tommy-sweeney-jersey">Tommy Sweeney Jersey</a> s because teams aren't supposed to have finalized agreements yet. It will be interesting to see if any of the big names mentioned above back out of these verbal "done deals" if another team comes calling near the deadline. In the meantime, we'll marvel over some of the numbers being thrown around for . The are "closing in" on a deal that would make Suh the richest defender in NFL history. NFL Media's Albert Breer reports the were willing to pay Suh $17 million per season, and the deal is expected to easily top that. Suh will make more than and more than all but a handful of quarterbacks. No one can accuse owner Stephen Ro s of being pa sive. He gave out the most money as a team in free agency in 2013, and gave tackle the second highest total of guaranteed money to any free agent in 2014. Putting Suh and on the same defensive line is frightening; they are both in the top five of their respective positions. It's Chip Kelly's world It's almost as if the coach wants to show everyone he can win without any of Andy Reid's players. In the same week that he dealt away , the will allow Maclin to leave via free agency. We can't blame Kelly for this one. Maclin is expected to sign with the for money in the range of 's $10 million per season. Maclin has been in the NFL six seasons, and has one 1,000-yard campaign. Kelly is going to spend on defense (Maxwell), and trust his scheme to win the day on offense. The more surprising item Sunday: is expected to join the team. He gives them an incredible between-the-tackles runner and a consummate pro that excels on any down. They won't need him for 300 touches. As the President of the Gore for Canton Committee, I couldn't have picked a better landing spot for the end of his career. Ranking the re-signings Before saying goodbye, let's quickly rank the best re-signings of the weekend in terms of impact: 1. : Rapoport reported that Cobb took le s money to stay in Green Bay. , Cobb and are now all signed together through at least 2018. No one can ever say that Ted Thompson frittered away Rodgers' prime; the best quarterback in the league has some of the best weapons with him for a long time. Anything but a second title by the end of Cobb's contract would be a disappointment. 2. : There just aren't many true centerfield safeties out there. That's why McCourty got $47.5 million over the course of a five-year deal. The real question now: Can the still afford to keep Revis too? 3. : With Flowers, and together, the quietly could have one of the most talented defensive backfields in the league. 4. : At $4 million, the price was right for both sides. Ingram showed the ability to carry a backfield last year and deserved another shot in New Orleans. The aren't blowing up their offense yet; will also be back. 5. : Who would have thought after 2012 that Ingram and Jackson would both get second contracts with their teams? It's a reminder not to break out the "B" word too early. Jackson has evolved into an above-average starting cornerback, which is worth plenty. 6. : He's getting paid like a bridge quarterback, one that isn't making too much to keep at No. 2. Bringing back Sanchez helps provide flexibility to potentially trade on draft day or before. If Kelly can't move up for Marcus Mariota, Sanchez and Foles could compete to start again. 7. : This was a rare re-signing that looks like a bargain. It was only four years ago that Free earned a four-year, $32 million deal from Jerry Jones. Now he signed a three-year, $15 million contract coming off a solid season. The latest Podcast and plays another game of "Go Get My Lunch." Find more content on . <a href="https://www.chibearswear.com/collections/dick-butkus-jersey">Dick Butkus Jersey</a>