Category: Gronk

Rob Gronkowski’s honest reason for ignoring Bill Belichick’s phone calls

Rob Gronkowski admits he ignored Bill Belichick’s phone calls after Super Bowl LII loss

Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski opened up about almost retiring, following the team’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl LII.

Gronkowski admitted that he ignored former coach Bill Belichick’s phone calls, which ultimately ended in him being traded to the Detroit Lions. However, he threatened to retire if the trade went through, and the Lions withdrew their trade offer.

Gronkowski ended up returning to New England, and the team went back to the Super Bowl the next season and defeated the Los Angeles Rams.

“I always wanted to be a New England Patriot, and I did not want to get traded that year, especially with Julian still there and Tom still there at the quarterback position,” Gronkowski said, when appearing on “Zolak & Bertrand.” Everyone was like, ‘Oh, you didn’t want to go to Detroit.’ No, I just didn’t want to leave New England.”

One has to wonder what the trajectory of the Patriots’ organization and Gronkowski’s career would have looked like if he ended up joining the Lions.

Needless to say, Patriots fans are happy he stayed in New England.

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Rob Gronkowski suggests No. 1 thing on Mike Vrabel’s to-do list

Rob Gronkowski thinks Mike Vrabel should bring back Josh McDaniels

Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski seems to love the hiring of Mike Vrabel as the Patriots’ new head coach.

He gave Vrabel a strong endorsement on FOX NFL Sunday, and he also suggested hiring Josh McDaniels as the new offensive coordinator should be the first order of business on the Patriots coach’s to-do list.

“If I’m Mike Vrabel, the first thing I would do is call up and dial up the number of Josh McDaniels, a familiar [face] to Patriots fans, and hire him as the offensive coordinator as soon as possible,” said Gronkowski. 

McDaniels’ last stint as Patriots offensive coordinator ran from 2012-2021, before he accepted a job as the head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders. He was ultimately fired from that job in 2023, fueling speculation that he could get back to coaching offense at some point.

Vrabel knows McDaniels well considering he was with the team during Vrabel’s run as a player. Perhaps a reunion could be in store between the two to help breathe life into a Patriots team that has only four wins in back-to-back seasons.

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Rob Gronkowski defends former Patriots coach Jerod Mayo in passionate rant

Rob Gronkowski is not a fan of how Jerod Mayo’s run ended in New England

Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski believes the Patriots firing Jerod Mayo as head coach was unfair. He made his case during an NFL on FOX broadcast on Sunday.

Mayo was fired following the team’s loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Patriots have already begun their head coaching search with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson being on tap as a candidate they’ve requested to interview.

“I was shocked by that and to happen so soon was a shocker to a lot of people,” said Gronkowski. “…I think it was unfair to coach Jerod Mayo. I mean he had never had the chance to develop as a head coach. He was just a rookie himself in that department. If you judge a coach by their first year, that’s really not appropriate. Jimmy Johnson, you went 1-15 your first year and then you won a couple of Super Bowls after that.”

Time will tell what direction the Patriots go in after their latest firing. They could interview several different candidates, including Johnson. There are also the continued links between the team and Mike Vrabel.

New England is being viewed as an attractive destination for coaches with Drake Maye at quarterback and the team entering the offseason with the most salary cap space.

So the Patriots should have plenty of options to pick from.

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How Rob Gronkowski got into trouble with Patriots on draft night

Rob Gronkowski got a little too excited after being drafted by New England

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski described how he experienced the best moment of his life and got into trouble simultaneously.

When appearing on “Pats from the Past,” the four-time Super Bowl champion said getting drafted was the best moment of his career, but he also explained how he got into trouble during his moment onstage.

“That was the best moment and best feeling of my life right there and then,” Gronkowski said. “…I was up on stage putting the helmet on, going one-on-one versus my brother because he was in the NFL at the time. He put the Detroit Lions helmet on. We were jumping up and down, “Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo,” which we love to do.

“That’s how we party. We always were jumping up and down acting like maniacs. So we brought the party to the stage, and [former director of football operations] Berj [Najarian] gave me that call like, ‘Hey, get off the stage. This is what we’re not about.’ I literally put the phone down and was like, ‘I’m already getting in trouble. This is great.'”

Gronkowski was drafted in the second round with the 42nd overall pick. The rest is history as he became one of the best tight ends of all time. His 18-touchdown season in 2011 is the most by any tight end in NFL history.

He would play for New England for nine seasons before finishing his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Nevertheless, New England was where he made his biggest impact, and the fans are forever thankful for it.

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Legendary TE Rob Gronkowski reveals price for him to fight Shaq

Rob Gronkowski named his price for a boxing match with NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal.

Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was an attendee at the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight.

He was part of a star-studded audience that included the likes of NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal. During the live event, Gronkowski and O’Neal teased a boxing match. It was hard to tell initially if the pair were serious or joking.

When appearing on the “Dudes on Dudes” podcast, Gronkowski indicated he really would fight the former NBA star in a boxing match for the right price.

“Fight night was legit man. And we’re just chilling there, I don’t know who else is going to be around,” said Gronkowski. “I sit down and Shaq’s right next to me as well. I’m like ‘Oh alright, this is going to be a great night.’ I love Shaq,  I’m already friends with Shaq.

“I actually would fight Shaq in a boxing match. Here’s the thing: I would never do the UFC stuff, no matter what the payment is, no matter how much money it is. But I would box someone if the money was right, no doubt about it. At least $12 million, minimum.”

Gronkowski measures in at 6-foot-6, and O’Neal stands at 7-foot-1. It would be quite the tale of the tape. The former Patriots tight end does have the age advantage. He is 35 years old while O’Neal is 52.

For all of the suspense that the Paul-Tyson fight lacked, a Gronkowski-O’Neal headliner could potentially be more entertaining. Hopefully, somebody comes up with the $12 million because that would make for great television.

Your move, Netflix.

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Rob Gronkowski claims he was friends with ejected World Series fan

The story of the ejected World Series fan just took another turn

Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski claimed he was friends with the New York Yankees fan who interfered with Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Mookie Betts during Game 4 of the MLB World Series on Tuesday night.

The Yankees ended up winning the game by an 11-4 margin, but the Dodgers closed out the series with a victory on Wednesday

Gronkowski appeared on the “Up & Adams Show” and spoke about his connection with the fan. The play itself happened in the bottom of the first inning, and the fan could be seen grabbing Betts’ glove and pulling the ball out.

“That guy right there grabbing Mookie Betts’ glove was my friend in college,” said Gronkowski. “He was on the ice hockey team, the club Arizona Wildcats ice hockey team. Let me tell you, the whole hockey team, they were absolute maniacs.”

The fans involved have been identified as Austin Capobianco and John Peter. Both men were banned from Game 5 of the World Series, and there are still questions on if that punishment will stay intact next season as well.

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Rob Gronkowski gives his best advice for Tom Brady in broadcasting

Rob Gronkowski has some advice for Tom Brady

Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has high hopes for his former teammate, Tom Brady, who is set to begin his NFL broadcasting career.

Brady will officially be making his debut in the booth for the Dallas Cowboys-Cleveland Browns Week 1 matchup on September 8.

Brady and Gronkowski will be teammates again with both now part of the Fox Sports crew. Gronkowski has been part of the studio’s coverage since 2019.

He shared some advice for the legendary quarterback during a recent appearance on “Good Morning Football,” as transcribed by NESN.com’s Gayle Troiani.

“Don’t overthink it and just be yourself,” Gronkowski said. “Go out there and share that gift he was born with. That gift is the knowledge of football that he has, and he has the most knowledge for the game of football than any ex, any former player out there. So, just go out and share that knowledge with the world, and he will absolutely dominate.

“I would never put anything past him, and he has all this time to prepare. When he has time to prepare, he will always be on his A-game. So, Tom Brady’s going to dominate, and I can’t wait for it.”

It will certainly be quite the switch-up from the football field to the booth for Brady. He has already made a promise to ‘cut it loose’ while on broadcasts, so it will be interesting to see what that entails.

His football knowledge alone should make for great television at the very least.

Rob Gronkowski tells epic story about late teammate Ryan Mallett

Rob Gronkowski tells an incredible Ryan Mallett story

Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski had an epic story to tell about his former teammate, the late Ryan Mallett.

Gronkowski recalled a moment when Mallett was talking to him during the 2011 AFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Denver Broncos. The quarterback issued a challenge to the tight end, and Gronkowski took it and ran with it.

“So, I had three touchdowns in the first half, I’m pretty sure,” Gronkowski said, when appearing on “Games with Names.” They were all in the first half, right? I had two already, and Ryan Mallett, rest in peace, he came up to me on the sideline, and he goes, ‘You’re gonna have three tuds (touchdowns), there’s no doubt about it. He goes, ‘And when you have your third, shoot that [expletive] in for a 3-pointer after you spike it.'”

Gronkowski followed through with Mallett’s advice and did the 3-point motion following his third touchdown of the game. The Patriots rolled to a 45-10 victory over the Broncos that night.

Mallett was drafted by the Patriots in the third round with the 74th overall pick of the 2011 NFL draft.

He spent three seasons with New England, before being traded to the Houston Texans before the 2014 season. He then went on to play three more seasons in the NFL, splitting time between the Texans and Baltimore Ravens.

In June 2023, Mallett tragically drowned when swimming in Destin. He was only 35 years old.

Rob Gronkowski’s hilarious take on Bill Belichick’s dating life

Rob Gronkowski shared a hilarious take on Bill Belichick dating

Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski cracked a joke at Bill Belichick’s expense, when talking about Belichick’s relationship with his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson.

Gronkowski threw a piece of advice back at Belichick during an appearance on Julian Edelman’s “Games with Names” podcast earlier this week.

The tight end mentioned that Belichick would always tell his players to not get involved with three specific things: alcohol, [expletive], and girls. As Gronkowski pointed out, Belichick was caught up with the latter.

“He’s all caught up with the girls,” Gronkowski told Edelman. “We love you, coach. We love you.”

Gronkowski also pointed out that because Belichick was not a head coach this season, he’s allowed to be involved with the trifecta.

“He’s not coaching anymore though. That’s a pass. He’s allowed to be in the trifecta,” Gronkowski said. “Watch out, he’s going to be blacked-out hammered every night now.”

It’s certainly humorous to hear Gronkowski weigh in on the matter. There are probably more than a few playful jabs coming for Belichick, who is currently enjoying his time away from coaching.

Who knows? Maybe he’ll have some playful jabs of his own in the not-so-distant future.

Brian Hoyer explains why Rob Gronkowski was better tight end than Travis Kelce

Travis Kelce is a phenomenal tight end, but he isn’t Rob Gronkowski, per QB Brian Hoyer

Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is widely regarded as the greatest tight end of all time, and one of his former teammates took the time to explain why.

Quarterback Brian Hoyer played with Gronkowski for four seasons and got to see his production firsthand. Gronkowski was an offense catalyst for New England for nine seasons, recording 7,861 receiving yards and 79 touchdowns. He immediately burst onto the scene, catching 17 touchdown passes in his second season in 2011. The touchdown catches are an NFL record to this day.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is certainly having a strong career in his own right, and he has started receiving comparisons to Gronkowski in terms of his playmaking ability. On top of that, the Chiefs are being compared to the Patriots as the next great dynasty. Hoyer was a guest on the “Pats from the Past Podcast” and made sure to give Gronkowski his flowers.

While Hoyer did not diminish Kelce’s efforts, he noted that blocking is something that separates the two.

“Having played with him, maybe I’m a little biased, but [Gronkowski is] the greatest tight end of all time,” said Hoyer. “Not only because of his size, speed, and when you think of a tight end’s ability to run routes and catch. But, because he was such a great blocker that teams had to honor that. And I think that’s what made him so dynamic.

“We look at Travis Kelce today, phenomenal tight end, but really, Travis isn’t blocking anybody. Rob would block like he was the right tackle. …Rob really changed the game in that matter because he was a lineman, who was the premier pass catcher at the same time.”

It’s hard to argue with Kelce’s accomplishments, especially with the Kansas City Chiefs primed to make another Super Bowl run in 2024. However, Gronkowski still reigns supreme as the best overall tight end, at least for now.