locker room divide

In an interview on The Herd, former Patriots defensive back Logan Ryan discussed how Belichick’s political stance created a divide in a team that had always been instructed to avoid such topics. Ryan noted, “I see kind of the turn of the political statements coming out from Bill, supporting Trump and whatnot, and he said, ‘We’re not going to talk about anybody’s own personal beliefs.’” Ryan observed these changes after he left the Patriots in 2016 and noted that it disrupted the locker room’s usual code of silence on personal beliefs.

Ryan said that watching The Dynasty and hearing former players speak about this double standard confirmed his own experiences. Belichick’s letter to Trump, praising his “toughness” and “leadership” on the eve of the 2016 election, contrasted sharply with his later refusal of the Presidential Medal of Freedom following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Ryan added that when he later competed against the Patriots, he noticed how “tired” and “defeated” the team seemed after years of intense pressure and high standards.