Rob Gronkowski is one of the most free-spirited players in the NFL, so it’s not a huge shock he’s getting along well with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s also not terribly surprising to hear what he sees as the biggest difference between his current team and his former team.
Gronkowski was asked by SiriusXM NFL Radio about the differences in personality between Bill Belichick and Bruce Arians, and admitted that the two could not be more different in many ways. He also offered a telling comment about what makes playing for the Buccaneers under Arians so much different.
Ahead of his first #SuperBowl as a member of the @Buccaneers, tight end @RobGronkowski compared the two head coaches he's had, Bill Belichick and Bruce Arians.#GoBucs | @BruceMurrayNFL | @MarkDominikNFL pic.twitter.com/qPEbnMvIQO
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) January 29, 2021
“Coming here, it’s is a complete 180, for sure, totally different. I mean, I feel like the biggest difference is just having the freedom of being yourself here in this organization,” Gronkowski said.
It’s not terribly surprising to hear this. Belichick and the Patriots operate in a very disciplined way, and players are expected to fit into the team’s culture. Arians and the Buccaneers are simply different and more permissive philosophically. Both ways have clearly bred success.
To be clear, Gronkowski didn’t have a bad thing to say about Belichick, and that feeling seems to be mutual. It’s clear, though, that the Buccaneers’ atmosphere is just a better fit for Gronk’s personality.
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