Bogus rumor involving the Patriots is finally squashed for good

In some of the least shocking news of the offseason, a bogus rumor that took off earlier this year regarding the Patriots' alleged interest in acquiring Aaron Rodgers before his eventual trade to the Jets has finally been debunked by the man himself, Bill Belichick.

It was a rumor that was started by Fox Sports host and known New York Jets fan Craig Carton back in June. He alleged the Patriots had contacted the Packers about trading for Rodgers, but the quarterback vetoed the idea before it could happen.

Since the clip of Carton went viral on social media, it became a new talking point for critics regarding the state of the once unbeatable Patriots team. The idea that a guy like Rodgers wanted nothing to do with the legendary coach and team spoke volumes, with many concluding it was an indication of the massive decline of the organization since Tom Brady left in 2020.

But that narrative was shut down just days later by one of Rodgers' closest friends and former Colts punter Pat McAfee who emphatically denied any validity to it, citing source(s) who were likely the quarterback himself.

Although it seemed easy to believe the suggestion of New England being even remotely interested in trading everything, but the kitchen sink for a nearly 40-year-old quarterback wasn't true, the pessimism surrounding Mac Jones made it more credible to some people.

How anyone could believe there to be any truth to the rumor is beyond comprehension. To think that Belichick would not fight to keep Tom Brady in New England for the remainder of his career, presumably due to the quarterback's age, but just a few years later, would go all-in on another aging quarterback wouldn't make any sense.

Belichick hadn't addressed the gossip since the rumor made waves in June. But that changed on Monday when he was asked about it directly during an appearance on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show."

"I’m not really sure what you’re referring to. … I personally couldn’t speak to that. Look, there’s a lot of conversation in the offseason between our personnel people, other executives. So, I don’t know what he’s really talking about. I personally didn’t talk to the Packers about Aaron Rodgers, no. … Aaron Rodgers is a great player. That wasn’t anything that I was aware of."

Some believe that doesn't mean the Patriots didn't actually reach out to the Packers about a trade, which is certainly possible. But Belichick is the team's general manager, so any and all transactions of players go through him with his approval.

Maybe he's playing coy, although doubtful. However, it seems that Belichick was not involved in any conversations about trading for Rodgers, which likely means if any other staff member did talk to Green Bay, the inquiry didn't go far enough even to involve Belichick.