FX’s American Sports Story depicts Aaron Hernandez asking Patriots head coach Bill Belichick for a trade ahead of the 2013 NFL season. Josh Rivera leads the American Sports Story cast as Aaron Hernandez, the former collegiate and NFL superstar tight end who was convicted of murdering semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd in 2015. American Sports Story portrays several NFL players, including Hernandez, Rob Gronkowski, Tom Brady, and Tim Tebow.

American Sports Story episode 7 portrays the growing paranoia of Hernandez after shooting his friend Sherrod after the two went to a Miami nightclub. In real life, Alexander “Sherrod” Bradley lost his right eye after being shot in the face with a handgun and accused Hernandez of pulling the trigger. Hernandez never admitted to the crime and was never charged with the attempted murder of Sherrod. It’s believed, however, that he became so intimidated to the point where he asked the Patriots for a trade.

As depicted in American Sports Story episode 7, Hernandez did actually request to be traded from the New England Patriots in 2013 just one year into his $40 million contract extension. According to ESPN, “Aaron Hernandez was worried about the safety of his fiancée and daughter when he came to Bill Belichick in February 2013 seeking a trade.” Based on the information and context presented in the series, it appears that the real-life Hernandez felt intimidated by Sherrod after discovering he was still alive.

Belichick told police officers in North Attleborough, Massachusetts in 2013 that Hernandez was worried that “people might potentially harm” his fiancée Shayanaa Jenkins and his newborn child. Hernandez specifically requested to Belichick that the Patriots either trade him or release him to a West Coast team where he and his family would feel safer. There’s no evidence that Belichick knew exactly who Hernandez was afraid of. However, he did offer the assistance of the Patriots’ security team.

Why The Patriots Didn’t Trade Aaron Hernandez In 2013

Financial and gameplay reasons kept Hernandez in New England

Bill Belichick turned down Hernandez’s request to be traded due to several factors. The most obvious reason is that the Patriots had just doubled down on their big investment in running a two-tight-end offensive scheme that involved Rob Gronkowski and Hernandez. This offensive strategy was a major reason why they were able to make it to Super Bowl XLVI in 2012.

Hernandez was locked into a $40 million extension and releasing him would put the Patriots in a major financial and salary cap hole. Gronkowski and Hernandez were also the pillars of the Patriots offense at the time. Belichick, who has won more Super Bowls than any other NFL coach in history, was not going to let Hernandez walk away over off-the-field concerns. It’s also reasonable to infer that Belichick didn’t know how serious the threat that Hernandez faced was. All these reasons explain why Hernandez stayed in New England in American Sports Story.