The Curious Case Of Former Saints Coach Aaron Kromer
If anyone had told me that former New Orleans Saints offensive line coach Aaron Kromer would be arrested in his lifetime I wouldn’t have believed it.
During Kromer’s tenure with the Saints from 2008-2012 he seemed to be more meek and mild than coffee at a church social.
Although he was responsible for helping build a solid wall of protection around quarterback Drew Brees, he wasn’t the fire and brimstone that some coaches are.
Sep 7, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) is shown at the line of scrimmage next to New Orleans Saints guard Jahri Evans (73) and New Orleans Saints center Jonathan Goodwin (55) in their game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons won 37-34 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
That was put on full display when he served as interim head coach for six games during 2012 while head coach Sean Payton was serving a suspension for Bountygate.
Kromer’s soft spoke demeanor and “golly-gee-whiz” words at post game press conferences were a far cry from what we were used to hearing.
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This is why it’s so curious that on Sunday morning he was arrested in Walton County, Florida for not just misdemeanor battery, but what is reported as being on a juvenile at that.
According to a report from ESPN, the altercation started over what is said to be over a set of beach chairs with the report further saying,
"Kromer, 48, has been accused of pushing one of the boys to the ground and punching him in the face after throwing the fishing pole into the water. Kromer allegedly then ordered that the chairs be returned to where they were found and told the boy that he would kill his family if he reported him to the police, according to the statement."
Also in the report it stated that Kromer was booked in at 1:51 a.m. ET and then bonded out shortly after at 3:10 a.m. ET.
As you can see, not only is the battery charge a shocker but Kromer allegedly threatening to kill the boy’s family is equally disturbing and completely out of character.
After leaving the Saints, Kromer has not had much success as he became the Chicago Bears offensive coordinator.
Dec 28, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) passes against the Minnesota Vikings in the second quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings win 13-9. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
In his first year in 2013, ProFootballFocus.com had Kromer’s unit ranked at #8 overall and #4 in passing which actually was one spot underneath the Saints.
However in 2014, the Bears offense tumbled to #18 overall and a horrid #25 in the passing game.
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This sharp drop lead to a mini-scandal where Kromer was said to have criticized Bears quarterback Jay Cutler to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport specifically his “game management skills”.
Kromer crawfished and denied he was the source when Rapoport first reported the story, then admitted that he was in fact the source.
Following the story, Kromer issued what was said to be a “tearful” apology to the team that ended with him being fired only a few weeks later on December 29, 2014.
There was speculation that Kromer could make a return to the Saints since the offensive line around Brees took a nosedive after his departure.
Jan 14, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pagula , head coach Rex Ryan and general manager Doug Whaley after a during a press conference at ADPRO Sports Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
But new Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan decided to make an aggressive push and snatched Kromer up on a two year deal to be his offensive line coach.
Now once again Kromer may be looking for another job if this unusual story is true as the Bills, and surely the NFL, begin to investigate.
The Bills released a statement saying that they are indeed “aware of the report and in the process of gathering the facts.”
A curious case, indeed……..