On Friday, news broke that Robert Kraft was facing two misdemeanor charges of solicitation after visiting a seedy massage parlor in Florida.
Since then, there’s been rampant speculation the NFL could punish the New England Patriots owner with anything from docking the team draft picks to forcing Kraft to sell his team. While neither of those sanctions is likely to happen, the 77-year-old will likely face major discipline under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
Though it’s possible the league could take a soft stance with Kraft, who donated $1.6 million to charities related to domestic violence and sex trafficking four years ago, that likely won’t be the case.
The NFL issued a statement on Monday about how Kraft will be treated.
“Our Personal Conduct Policy applies equally to everyone in the NFL,” the statement read. “We will handle this allegation in the same way we would handle any issue under the Policy. We are seeking a full understanding of the facts, while ensuring that we do not interfere with an ongoing law enforcement investigation. We will take appropriate action as warranted based on the facts.”
The closest comparison for an NFL owner violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy may be Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay.
In 2014, Irsay was fined $500,000 and suspended for six games after he pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while intoxicated in an Indiana courtroom. At the time of his arrest, toxicology reports showed Irsay had both hydrocodone and oxycodone in his system.
The $500,000 fine is the maximum fine allowed under NFL rules.
“All these scandals are bad, of course. And yet, to those in the general public, the Kraft case isn’t the same. Because of his carefully-constructed reputation. Because of his high profile. Because of the good he does, both on the field and off. Put simply, the bigger they are, the harder they fall,” according to Sports Illustrated.
Translation: Kraft’s penalty will meet, and probably exceed, what Irsay was hit with in September five years ago.
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