New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft expects the team to hit the ground running in Year 1 of their rebuild.
When speaking with media members at the NFL annual meeting, Kraft was asked if he had a change in expectations with the new coaching staff and current state of the team.
Surprisingly, not much has changed as far as what he expects in 2024 and beyond.
“My hope and expectation is to make the playoffs,” said Kraft. “That’s something realistically, we have a new leadership team, we’re going to have a lot of young players we don’t know. A lot can happen. We might struggle more than I want. I really feel we have a good young team, and I just hope we don’t struggle. But in the end, everything is chit-chat until you get on the field.”
"I really feel we have a good, young team. I just hope we don't struggle."
Robert Kraft discusses any change in expectations for the Patriots this upcoming season 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/3AVKWOHpV3
— NBC Sports Boston's Patriots Coverage (@NBCSPatriots) March 26, 2024
Kraft’s hopes and expectations are lofty for a team that still doesn’t have a starting quarterback.
Honestly, it’s likely wishful thinking from an owner that might have to show a deeper level of patience with the newly-constructed roster. The chances of the team being competitive would ultimately come down to them finding and hitting on a quarterback early, along with a massive upgrade at receiver through either the draft or trade market.
That doesn’t even take into account that the AFC East has suddenly emerged as arguably the toughest division in football. The Buffalo Bills are perennial contenders, and the Miami Dolphins were a drastically improved team that made the playoffs in 2023. Aaron Rodgers will be returning to the New York Jets in 2024 with more offensive weapons than ever before.
The expectation for the Patriots should be winning more than four games, and they can figure out the rest later on down the road.
