There were numerous reports throughout the offseason that Rob Gronkowski has grown tired of the culture with the New England Patriots and no longer enjoys playing for Bill Belichick, but it sounds like those talks were exaggerated.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported on Sunday that trade talks involving Gronkowski got “pretty intense” at one point and there was a belief the star tight end would be dealt. That’s when Gronk told the Patriots he would rather retire than play for any other quarterback than Tom Brady or coach than Bill Belichick.
From @gmfb Weekend: TE Rob Gronkowski made clear this offseason that he would only play for the #Patriots. That ended trade talks in their tracks. pic.twitter.com/4LgtaB97aq
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 9, 2018
It’s no surprise that Gronkowski wants to continue playing with Brady, as the four-time Super Bowl MVP is a big reason why Gronk has two championship rings and has caught 76 touchdowns in 102 career games. The part about Gronkowski only wanting to play for Belichick is far more interesting, especially given some of the rumblings we heard about the relationship between the two during the offseason.
Like Brady, Gronkowski got a reworked contract this offseason that allows him to earn more money through reachable incentives. Talk of drama surrounding the Patriots over the past year has undoubtedly been real, but another winning season would solve a lot of that.
