One of the weaknesses of the 2017 New England Patriots was their pass rush. Even though the team was tied for the seventh most sacks in the NFL during the regular season with 42, it failed to consistently put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. In order to improve this area of the defense, the Patriots are trying a new approach: According to the Boston Globe's Ben Volin, they are hiring a martial arts expert as a pass rushing consultant.
The Patriots are not the first NFL team to turn to Joe Kim. The Taekwondo black belt was intially hired by Bill Belichick's Cleveland Browns as a strength coach and pass rushing specialist in 1995 and was brought in by nine more teams as well as Penn State University since to help defenders develop their pass rushing moves and hand technique.