Rob Gronkowski has seemingly been on rocky ground with the New England Patriots since the end of last season and possibly before that, and rumors are continuing to swirl that the team could part ways with the star tight end.
The internet seems to have determined — whether on the basis of fact or not — that some major news regarding the Patriots is set to drop in the near future. An anonymous Reddit user actually broke the news of Julian Edelman’s four-game suspension before Adam Schefter tweeted it on Thursday. That same Reddit user said Thursday night that he has been sitting on “more MAJOR Patriots news” but has not been able to verify it.
Where does that lead us to Gronkowski? Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, who grew up in the Boston area and has been invited to team-sponsored Patriots celebrations in the past, said Friday that he has heard rumors that Gronk may not be a Patriot by the end of the day. Jerry Thornton, who has covered the Patriots for many years with Barstool and a brief stint with WEEI, said he has also heard there is bombshell news on the horizon in New England.
I'm hearing Gronk may not be a Patriot by the end of the day? If I'm right I want credit. If I'm wrong I don't want any blame.
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) June 8, 2018
I'm hearing Patriots rumors. 9.5 on the Richter Scale rumors https://t.co/rWeFg3Qyrn
— Jerry Thornton (@jerrythornton1) June 8, 2018
I'm sitting here writing a pre-emptive blog for what might be, if true, the most stunning move of the Bradichick Dynasty. Stay tuned
— Jerry Thornton (@jerrythornton1) June 8, 2018
Even a few local Patriots reporters seemed to openly acknowledge that they are not ruling out a Gronkowski trade.
I've mentioned on BST a source telling me that, having been around the team for years, they've seen how players are treated just before being dealt. That, the source said, was how it felt with Gronk at start of '17.
— Tom E. Curran (@tomecurran) June 8, 2018
Random observation made yesterday during the final day of mini camp: Gronk didn't take the field in any of the 3 days until the final horn sounded indicating "go time"
— Michael Giardi (@MikeGiardi) June 8, 2018
Bill Belichick doesn’t like when his players openly discuss their contract situations, and Gronk told reporters earlier this week that he would like a new contract. That was hardly a secret to begin with, but if the two sides were having trouble coming to an agreement it’s conceivable Gronkowski’s remarks angered Belichick.
All of this could amount to nothing, but the drama surrounding the Patriots over the past several months seems very real. We even saw that with the statement Tom Brady’s personal trainer felt inclined to put out after news of Edelman’s suspension surfaced. At this point, very few major moves can be ruled out.
