Patriots owner Robert Kraft made it clear to Ed Sheeran that he would cancel tour dates at Gillette Stadium unless Macklemore was dropped from the bill. Other NFL owners were ready to do the same.

The 40-minute phone call left Sheeran's tour hanging by a thread, as Kraft insisted on removing the rapper from the lineup. The pressure came amid broader concerns from NFL ownership about the concert booking.

Sources indicate that multiple team owners were prepared to follow Kraft's lead and pull their own venue agreements if Macklemore remained on the bill. The situation created uncertainty around the upcoming tour dates scheduled at NFL stadiums.

Sheeran ultimately faced a difficult decision between maintaining his original lineup and preserving the stadium partnerships that form the backbone of his tour scheduling.