The New England Patriots were a force to be reckoned with under Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. Most of that has to do with the way in which the two masters of the game brilliantly worked together in game situations. But a lot of the Patriots’ success between 2000 and 2020 also has to do with the way in which their front office strategically managed their roster.
One of their greatest strengths in that regard has been their ability to sign key players to team-friendly deals. How were they able to do this?
Former Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich detailed exactly how Belichick and company made it possible — with a bit of an assist from the GOAT, Tom Brady.
Here’s what he had to say during his appearance on the Pat McAfee Show:
“Look, when you go to negotiate your contract and you’re like, ‘Hey, you know I’m up next year. This is what guys are making at my position.’ They’d look at you and be like, ‘Yeah, well Tom [Brady] is the best of all time, and where’s he at in rank? Oh, like 15th. So if you wanna be here and you wanna win, I suggest you do what you gotta do.'”
In Ninkovich’s case, he chose to stick around and win rings in New England, rather than chase the money elsewhere. And that resulted in two Super Bowl rings for the former fifth-round pick.
