Former Patriots Safety Logan Ryan Says Bill Belichick Caused Possible Locker Room Rift Over Personal Politics
Former NFL safety Logan Ryan said that a possible double standard within the New England Patriots locker room contributed to a split between players and former head coach Bill Belichick.
Joining Colin Cowherd on "The Herd" this week, Ryan — who had a great career from 2013 to 2023 — shared that a possible rift inside the locker room over Belichick's association with former president Donald Trump had players questioning if Bill stepped over his own rule of ‘no politics’ in the locker room.
Cowherd and Ryan discussed the possible backlash created by Bill's off-the-field ties, referring to some of the criticisms made against the coach in the AppleTV series, "The Dynasty: New England Patriots."
Ryan wasn't as critical of Belichick himself as he diagnosed the swell of backlash leading to Belichick ‘mutually splitting’ with his longtime team this past year.
"During that time we dealt with the Aaron Hernandez situation and Deflategate, and I think that a lot of times it was ‘us against the world,'" said Ryan of his New England tenure. "He kept everything internal. So I did see the funny (side) of Bill at times. I saw the lowlights, chewing guys out on film, but I also saw the lighthearted stuff. I had a great time there, won a lot of games."
FOXBORO, Mass. - Logan Ryan of the New England Patriots reacts afer a deffensive play in the first half against the Houston Texans during the AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Gillette Stadium on January 14, 2017. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
According to Ryan, players were not allowed to discuss personal political beliefs concurrent to the rise of social media and individual players' profiles. Belichick wanted to keep the locker room devoid of distractions. However, Belichick's friendly ties to Trump rubbed some players the wrong way, questioning if the coach had a privilege when it came to politics.
He added, "I see kind of the turn of the political statements coming out from Bill, supporting Trump and whatnot, and we said, ‘We’re not going to talk about anybody’s own personal beliefs.’ I saw all that kind of [shake up] the locker room, like, ‘Hey we don’t talk about those things, why are you talking about those things?' …
"But times have changed. People want to talk about political views. Political views got into football. People want to do commercials. It’s OK to have your cell phone in a meeting. These things, employees in a workplace demand change, and I think as a boss you’ve got to understand that."
Looking at the rule, players likely took issue most with the brass' promulgation of politics rather than any Trump Derangement Syndrome that's all too common among celebrities. Most athletes, at least in the NFL, seem to be ‘laissez-faire’ about political differences, so maybe it was resentment over Belichick's tightly wound rules in the locker room.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has long advocated for Trump, and Belichick seemingly holds No. 45 in high regard. The Patriots gifted DT a jersey and a ring after winning the Super Bowl in 2017. Trump appointed Bill Belichick to the Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition in 2018. The coach and ex-prez have also exchanged letters.
"A friend of mine, Bob Kraft, called me last night he said this tax bill is incredible," Trump previously said in a speech, relayed by the Boston Globe. "He owns the New England Patriots, but he’s in the paper business and he said based on this tax bill he just wanted to let me know that he’s going to buy a big plant in the great state of North Carolina and he’s going to build a tremendous paper mill there or paper products plant."
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick announces he is leaving the team during a press conference. (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)
Republican presidential hopeful and former US President Donald Trump. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP)
Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
Send a message: alejandro.avila@outkick.com