Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick raised some eyebrows with his state tax opinions during his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“That’s Taxachusetts,” told McAfee on August 26. “Virtually every player … even the minimum players are pretty close to $1 million. So once you hit the $1 million threshold, then you pay more state tax in Massachusetts.
“Just another thing you’ve got to contend with in negotiations up there. It’s not like Tennessee or Florida or Nevada — or some of these teams have no state income tax. You get hit pretty hard on that with the agents. They’ll come and sledgehammer you down about tax they’re paying.”
Belichick, known for his tight salary cap spending and blunt negotiation style, wouldn’t have been impacted by the state’s 4% surtax for very long. It was first approved by Massachusetts voters in 2022, 23 years into his 24-year tenure overseeing the Patriots’ football operations.
According to Mass.gov, “Personal income taxpayers must pay an additional 4% surtax on taxable income over $1,000,000 for the tax year 2023.” For 2024 tax year, the official threshold sits at $1,053,750.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick talks to reporters after a game.
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Among the many notable reactions to Belichick’s jab at Massachusetts was one from Florida-based sports lawyer Brad Sohn, who made his opinion of the eight-time Super Bowl champion extremely clear.
“Hahahahahahahah! Yep; sure… talk to me please when you’re actually within 4% of the players best offer!” Sohn wrote on X.
A self-described “NFL player advocate,” Sohn’s firm “maintains what is believed to be first professional sports injury practice in the nation, through which he has successfully litigated against the NFL, international insurance syndicates, and others on behalf of players,” according to his LinkedIn profile.
