Patriots coach Bill Belichick took to the podium to talk about the Aaron Hernandez situation before training camp started, and though he read from a statement, he was initially as expressive as at any point in recent memory.
He talked about sadness and shock, but did his best to shut down questions about Hernandez after his opening remarks, falling back on the standard line of not commenting on an ongoing criminal investigation.
He referred to Hernandez as “an individual who happened to be a New England Patriot,” and said he was “personally disappointed and hurt in a situation like this.”
But for the most part, he did his best to avoid commenting on any specific thing regarding Hernandez, even when asked about any red flags they might have saw during the pre-draft process, or the process they went through when they select players.
“It’s time for the New England Patriots to move on,” he said at one point.
He also said players were advised not to comment on the situation, meaning there should be more nothing flowing from New England in the coming days, including tomorrow when his captains speak to reporters.