Rob Gronkowski was feeling well enough on Tuesday morning to criticize the NFL for all the offensive pass interference penalties that have been called against him this season.
In an interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald said that there is “no question” NFL officials are targeting Gronkowski with offensive pass interference calls. Gronk did a very uncharacteristic thing for a Patriots player when he tweeted that he agrees with Howe.
Agree https://t.co/E3aWNGE548
— Rob Gronkowski (@RobGronkowski) December 1, 2015
Gronkowski has been flagged for offensive pass interference a league-high five times this season. He has had more OPI flags thrown on him than 30 other teams in the NFL have had all year. Does anyone really think Gronk has changed his style of play, or is the league making it a point to keep a closer eye on him?
Naturally, everyone was talking about the scary hit Gronkowski took to the knee Sunday night, and you can see that video here. But that play took some attention off a very borderline OPI call that went against Gronk late in the fourth quarter when he caught a pass on 3rd-and-5 that would have given the Patriots a first down. Was it the right call?
By the book, maybe. But we wouldn’t blame you if you thought Gronkowski was being treated unfairly strictly because he is so big and so dominant. There are plenty of players who would not have been called for that penalty, especially at that point in the game. That has pretty much been the story for Gronk all season.
