Jonathan Kraft claims he made Bill Belichick release Aaron Hernandez after his arrest

In 2013, Aaron Hernandez was arrested and charged with the murder of Odin Lloyd, while he was still a member of the New England Patriots. 

Immediately when the news broke and Hernandez was seen being led out of his house in handcuffs, the Patriots were faced with a decision. 

They could cut Hernandez, taking on a massive dead cap hit, or they could keep him on the roster and see what happens through his trial. 

Jonathan Kraft, Robert Kraft, and Bill Belichick were all a major part of the decision and it seems their opinions were mixed. 

Episode six of "The Dynasty: New England Patriots," detailed everything that happened during Hernandez's time in Foxborough. And Jonathan Kraft was interviewed about the day Hernandez was arrested, explaining what everyone thought. 

According to him, Bill Belichick wanted to see how the case played out before making a decision. However, Jonathan and Robert Kraft believed they should release the tight end immediately. 

“Aaron was being led out of his house in handcuffs and it was on television everywhere. I just remember thinking whatever warm feelings we might have toward Aaron, it looks like he’s the ultimate bad thing and we can’t have him on our team any longer,” Jonathan Kraft said. “At that time, my dad and Bill were both out of the country, but I felt strongly we couldn’t wait. So, I called my dad and he very much agreed.

“And we called Bill, and Bill, as is his way, was always more measured. In the beginning, he said, ‘You know, he’s not guilty yet.’ There were competitive issues, too. He didn’t want to have to lose an amazing football player. So, Bill’s instinct would be to play this (expletive) thing out until the end. I just knew we couldn’t play it out to the end. Not because of how it looked on us, but because we had to set a (expletive) example. I mean, it’s like, this guy’s a murderer!”

Yet, it was Jonathan and Robert who ultimately made the final decision and released Hernandez less than two hours after he was arrested. 

This was a tough moment for the Kraft's, specifically Robert, who had a very close relationship with Hernandez. 

"Every time he’d see me, he’d kiss me on the cheek. I mean this is something I do with my sons," Robert Kraft recalled. "I think he viewed me sort of as a loving paternal figure.”"And Hernandez also proved to be there for Kraft. 

"I remember when my sweet wife Myra passed away of Ovarian cancer. Aaron handed me a check for $50,000 to the fund that we had set up in memory of Myra. I said, ‘Aaron this is very sweet. You don’t have to do this. You’ve already got your contract,’ Kraft said. "And he started getting tears in his eyes. ‘No,’ he said. ‘This is very important to me. I want to do it for you.’ It really touched me. I felt he was what we wanted as the perfect Patriot player.”

So when the news first broke that Hernandez might be tied up in Odin Lloyd's murder, Robert Kraft spoke to the tight end and offered to help him if it was true. 

“I found out he was working out in the weight room. I went down immediately and I said, ‘Aaron tell me, did you do this? Because if you did, I know you must have had some good reason. I’m going to get you the best defense lawyer we can get. And I’m going to do it at my cost,’ Kraft recalled. "And he looked me right in the eye, not blinking, anything, and said, ‘Mr. Kraft, I didn’t do that. I was in Rhode Island,’ or something. And when he said it, I believed him."

"He actually changed my life and how I look at people because it just, I to this day, I can’t believe I got snookered like that.”

Hernandez was ultimately found guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. He took his own life in prison in 2017.