Patriots’ Robert Kraft Believes He’ll Be ‘Chastised’ For This Remark

Even in a sports media landscape where fans and reporters are itching to expose the latest “cold take,” Robert Kraft is choosing to be openly optimistic.

Kraft met with reporters in West Palm Beach on Tuesday and was very candid about New England’s recent struggles. The longtime Patriots owner called the last two seasons “the worst” of his tenure in Foxboro, Mass., where his team went a combined 8-26. Talk about a far cry from nine Super Bowl appearances in 18 years.

Thus, Kraft was asked if he felt like New England currently is at “ground zero” in its rebuild. While some Patriots fans might feel that way, Kraft himself does not.

“I’ll get chastised for saying it, but I think we’re ahead of that,” Kraft told reporters, as transcribed by NBC Sports Boston. “I’m probably too excited. …I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but after my family, this team is the most important thing in my life. And the bottom line is winning games.

“These last two years have been brutal, really. So, I wanted to try to do whatever I could to get back to a system and a situation where we had hope and a chance to do something. And I really think we’re on that path now.”

It’s tough to knock Kraft for seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. The Patriots appear to have a legitimate franchise quarterback in Drake Maye and it’s warranted to have confidence in Mike Vrabel’s chances of leading a turnaround. That’s not to say New England will legitimately compete for a Super Bowl this season, but it might not be too far away from contention.

It’s unclear how much patience Kraft has left, though, as the Patriots haven’t won a playoff game since the 2018 season.