There is much to pick through when it comes to Sports Illustrated's look at former New England Patriots executive Jack Easterby.
The lengthy piece takes an in-depth look at Easterby's influence on his current organization the Houston Texans, who now rely on the former Patriots team chaplain. Such items as Easterby's role in key personnel decisions with Houston, how the organization viewed the outside-the-box decision-maker and possible discrepancies in how he represented himself throughout his professional career are all delved into.
But one item that should be of particular interest to Easterby -- who clearly gained the trust and respect of both Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft during his stay in New England -- was his assertion (according to the story's authors, Jenny Vrentas and Greg Bishop) that the Patriots offered both him and Nick Caserio lifetime commitments.
Vrentas and Bishop write:
"Easterby told people that Kraft, New England’s owner, had offered him and Caserio, the longtime personnel czar, “lifetime” contracts to run personnel. But Easterby intimated that he had turned down that offer, lest it look like he was going behind Belichick’s back. (The Patriots, through a team spokesperson, say such a contract was never offered.)
"Belichick’s tacit approval opened doors, and Easterby was eager for an expanded role from the one he had in Foxboro. In 2018, Easterby visited Carolina, where he met with new Panthers owner David Tepper and others. He drew interest from Miami, where a former Patriots assistant, Brian Flores, had been hired as the coach. Many believed Easterby would leave for Indianapolis with Josh McDaniels, but the coach backed out of an offer he accepted with the Colts. At that point, Easterby had an expiring contract and no immediate new offers."