Tom Brady says the “Real Rob Gronkowski” is finally back this season. It’s a football travesty that Gronk’s resurgence is happening in Tampa Bay instead of Foxborough.
For the last two years, we’ve been laser-focused on how Bill Belichick managed to alienate Brady and allow the greatest of all-time to leave for the historically moribund Buccaneers. But Belichick’s apparent falling out with Gronkowski is nearly as egregious. Gronk was a Bud Light-pounding cultural legend, and, oh yeah, the best tight end in football. Belichick seemingly assumed Gronkowski’s incredible injury history — he tallies nine surgeries and at least 20 concussions — would drive him out of the game. The Patriots tried to trade Gronkowski to the Lions in 2018, but Gronk nixed the deal.
The following year, Gronkowski retired, and Belichick mumbled a few words about him at the dreaded annual coaches’ breakfast. So no wonder when Gronkowski decided to return last year, he turned to TB12.
Meanwhile, the Patriots are still trying to replace Gronk, spending $87.5 million (with $56.25 guaranteed) on Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry.
Gronkowski outperformed both of them last week, and it wasn’t even close. He caught 8 passes out of 8 targets for 90 yards and two touchdowns. Smith and Henry caught 8 passes for 73 yards combined — and failed to find the end zone.
Oh, and Gronk is on a one-year, $8 million deal. That’s some good value.
“When I see him play now, the real Rob Gronkowski’s back,” Brady said this week on Mad Dog Radio, via Joe Bucs Fan. “The spirit of him, which makes everyone love him as a person, as a teammate, as a player. That spirit that he has in his eyes about his joy of life, his joy of football, is back. And when I see him play the other night, that’s his most authentic self. And for someone who’s watched him for a long time, he had it, it faded away and he ended up retiring because he didn’t find the joy that he had. And to see him regain it is one of the really great satisfying things for me in pro sports.”
How did Gronkowski’s joy fade away? At the time, we received many clues. On the day of Super Bowl LII, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk speculated Gronkowski may retire after the game. When asked about the report, Gronk wouldn’t commit to playing in 2018.
A couple of weeks later, NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran reported Gronkowski was contemplating retirement as far back as training camp. We later learned that Belichick chastised Gronk in front of the team for working with Alex Guerrero, per the Herald’s Karen Guregian.
Do you think Gronkowski is working with Guerrero now?
Belichick wasn’t wrong to think that Gronk was probably finished. He looked cooked at the end of 2018, though he did set up the go-ahead Super Bowl touchdown with a vintage catch down the left side. But even a diminished Gronkowski would’ve been superior to the motley crew of Patriots’ tight ends from 2019 and 2020: Matt LaCosse; Ryan Izzo; Dalton Keene.
And maybe Gronkowski would’ve have been as diminished if his joy was still present. That sounds cheesy, but it could be true.
Gronk, in his words, is finally “happy and free.” He seems to be on the cusp of a renaissance campaign.
Now, he wants to play for as long as Brady, according to his brother, Chris.
“Whatever Tom has left, I think that's what Rob has left as well,” Chris Gronkowski told TMZ. “I just can't see him playing with another quarterback. It's tough to get that chemistry. It's tough to win once you lose that QB.”
Brady and Gronk are a package deal. Mac Jones-to-Jonnu Smith may be a better combination in 2023. But for right now, it’s Brady and Gronk.
And it should still be happening here.
