Patriots stars react to Rob Gronkowski denting Lombardi Trophy

Tom Brady, Julian Edelman, and Rob Gronkowski himself were some of the notable Patriots stars to react online to Gronk’s mishap with the trophy.

The New England Patriots might have lost one of the greatest icons in franchise history in seeing Rob Gronkowski retire from the NFL, but at the very least, Gronk left a lasting impression on the team when he “accidentally” dented a Lombardi Trophy at the Red Sox home opener recently. Now that the secret’s out and the story’s gone viral, a number of high-profile Patriots stars – include Gronkowski himself – have seen fit to respond to it publicly via their social media accounts.

Let’s start with the guilty party himself: big old No. 87. Gronkowski had just one word and one emoji to sum up his reaction to what he did:

The incident occurred whilst a bunch of Patriots players were congregating around the batting practice area of Fenway Park on April 9. Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, and Stephon Gilmore were all scheduled to simultaneously throw out first pitches at the home opener, so Edelman and Gronkowski took it upon themselves to warm up, stretch out their arms, and get a little loose.

Gronkowski took a couple practice swings with the Patriots’ sixth Lombardi Trophy, the one they only just recently earned this past February in defeating the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 53. Edelman saw Gronk acting like a baseball player, so he tossed him a practice pitch in jest.

And Gronkowski swung.

The rest, as they say, is now history. The fun-loving tight end made contact, trophy met baseball, baseball flew forward into the air, and trophy was never the same again.

The Patriots have already stated that they currently have no plans to repair it, preferring instead to keep the trophy dented as a fond memory and an association with one of their greatest players.

Tom Brady and Julian Edelman also commented online about the story. Edelman chose to plead the fifth, as clearly he could be considered an accomplice in this “crime.”

Brady summed up his reaction perfectly with a popular GIF:

All jokes aside, the Patriots will soon need to transition their focus to the upcoming NFL season. The full 16-game schedule was released two days ago for all 32 teams, and the NFL Draft is less than one week away.

New England is expected to draft a tight end who could potentially grow into Rob Gronkowski’s successor. He certainly left big shoes to fill, though, so it will undoubtedly be a tall task for any young player.

No one will ever be able to replace Gronk’s boyish charm, playful attitude, and fun-loving hijinks though, that’s for sure.