When Bill Belichick mentioned at his end-of-the-season press conference in January that the New England Patriots had been at the bottom in spending in two of the last three seasons, many thought he was taking a shot at owner Robert Kraft.

Kraft dispelled that notion in a recent conversation with the Boston Sports Journal's Greg Bedard. While the entire interview isn't on the record, Bedard recalled asking Kraft recently about Belichick's comment in January and if it was an accurate statement.

“So I asked Robert about Bill Belichick's comments, about how they're one of the lowest cash-spending teams in the league,” Bedard recently said on NBC Sports Boston’s Early Edition. “And a lot of fans took that as a little bit of a shot at ownership, that the Krafts aren't willing to spend for this team. And I asked Robert about that, and I just want to quote him accurately.

“He says, ‘He has never come to me and not gotten everything he wanted from a cash-spending perspective. We have never set limits.' And he further went on to say, ‘Money spending will never be the issue, I promise you, or I'll sell the team.' So that's pretty definitive.”

Belichick wasn't incorrect when he pointed out that the team had been closer to the bottom in spending than they were to the top in the three seasons since Tom Brady's departure. They had the fourth-lowest amount of active cash spending in the 2022 season. They currently have the second-lowest active cash spending for the 2023 season, according to Over The Cap.

Of course, the Patriots still have made moves this offseason. They signed JuJu Smith-Schuster to a three-year, $33 million deal with $25 million guaranteed. They added Mike Gesicki along with a handful of veteran offensive linemen, though those deals were either just one- or two-year commitments with no more than $5 million in average annual value. In addition, they gave multi-year extensions to wide receiver DeVante Parker and linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley this week.

All this talk comes up as the Patriots have been reportedly pursuing DeAndre Hopkins. The Patriots have made a strong offer to Hopkins, according to multiple reports. But Hopkins not accepting their supposed strong offer right away has led some to wonder just how strong it is.

As with everything, time will tell just how serious the Patriots' interest in Hopkins is, and if Robert Kraft's statement holds true.