The New England Patriots have gained a reputation over the last decade of doing whatever it takes to gain a competitive advantage over their opponents. From Spygate to Deflategate, to lining up in exotic formations that push the limits of the rule book, Bill Belichick and the Patriots will forever be tainted with that reputation. So it isn't a surprise that opposing teams and players would feel suspicious about the motives of the Patriots when visiting Gillette Stadium.
In a phone interview on the Dan Patrick Show former Indianapolis Colts head coach and current NBC Sports analyst Tony Dungy said that one such player was Peyton Manning.
Dungy said that while Manning was with the Colts he had come to the conclusion from speaking to current and former Patriots that the visiting locker room at Gillette Stadium was bugged.
“That is very true,” Dungy said. “As Peyton talked to guys who played for the Patriots and some of the guys who came over (to the Colts), whether it is true or not, he treated it as true and we didn’t have a lot of strategy discussed inside the locker room.”
Dungy went on to say that Manning and then offensive coordinator Tom Moore would leave the visiting locker room when discussing any strategy or plays.
Manning was asked about Dungy's comments at a media session on Thursday after the Denver Broncos had completed their final day of training camp. The Broncos quarterback would not directly address the bugging issue but he also didn't issue any denials either.
“I think there’s kind of a rule, when you’re still playing, what goes on in the locker room kind of stays in the locker room,” Manning said. “When you stop playing, you write a book and you get commentary and it all kind of seems to be told. I am still playing so I don’t really talk about what goes on in the locker room. And I won’t write a book, by the way, so you won’t find out what goes on in the locker room even after I stop playing. Those are kind of some of the things that sort of stay in house.”
Dungy went on to say that he didn't know if the rumors were true or not and didn't want the Patriots singled out.
"Everybody wants to point the finger at the Patriots, but it's that kind of league.", Dungy said. "Everybody tries to get an advantage when they can. Most people do."
Rumors and accusations of cheating by the Patriots have swirled around the team since 2007 when it was disclosed that the coaching staff had videotaped hand signals used by the defensive coaches of the New York Jets during a game. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell fined Belichick a record $500,000. The Patriots were fined $250,000 and were docked their 2008 first round draft pick (#31).