Robert Kraft isn't interested in declaring his guilt.
The New England Patriots owner has rejected an offer from Florida prosecutors that would have had his two charges of soliciting prostitution dropped if he admitted he would have been proven guilty at trial, a "Kraft ally" told The Boston Globe's John R. Ellement on Wednesday.
ESPN's T.J. Quinn pushed back against the notion that Kraft already has rejected the offer, however.
Regardless, few expected Kraft to accept the plea offer, which was extended to all 25 men charged in Jupiter, Fla., as part of an investigation into a human trafficking ring.
According to Ellement, Kraft's legal team believes the offer went beyond what is "routinely expected" in misdemeanor cases by requiring Kraft to publicly admit he committed a criminal act, something he denied in an earlier statement.
Kraft's reported rejection would mean prosecutors plan to take the case to trial, with the Patriots owner's arraignment set for March 28.
New England Patriots
Per Ellement, however, Kraft's legal team is negotiating with Florida State Attorney Dave Aronberg's office (which extended the plea offer) to try to reach a "mutually agreeable resolution" before trial.
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