Julian Edelman will miss “big old teddy bear” Rob Gronkowski

Patriots receiver Julian Edelman reflected back on what made recently-retired tight end Rob Gronkowski such a great teammate and friend.

Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski have spent almost the same amount of time together playing for the New England Patriots.

Edelman was selected in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Gronkowski was chosen the following year in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Both have played their entire careers in New England, and now that Gronk is retired and Edelman recently received a two-year contract extension, there’s a great chance that neither one will ever play football for another franchise.

Though both players have experienced injuries, ailments, and adversity throughout their professional careers, it was Gronkowski who finally decided that enough was enough this offseason. With various reports suggesting that back problems and fears of a bulging disc may have ultimately swayed him into starting a life post-football, the lovable lunkhead now leaves the New England offense in the care of Edelman, quarterback Tom Brady, and a whole lot of question marks behind them.

Edelman joined WFAN’s “Boomer & Gio” for an interview on Tuesday, and over the course of the conversation, he was peppered with questions about the future of the Patriots franchise. In the midst of that intriguing discussion, he took some time to reflect on his old running-mate Gronk… and on just what No. 87 meant to him, both on the football field and in the locker room.

“He’s definitely going to be missed,” Edelman explained. “Not just his athletic ability and what he does on the field, but how he is in the locker room. I’ve played nine or 10 years with the guy, and to see him every day and how he was as a professional – he never really had a bad day.”

Surely Edelman was exaggerating a bit, right? ‘He never really had a bad day?’ It’s almost impossible to believe that any football player, no matter how good-natured they might usually be, could be so unwaveringly positive and upbeat on a day-to-day basis, right?

According to Edelman, Gronkowski was just such a player… one-in-a-million. He elaborated further:

"“When you play a long time with someone, you know them in and out. He’s such a good human being. Great dude to be around, like a big old teddy bear. Those are the things you’re going to miss the most. You go into Week 13, it’s been a grind, you’re banged up. We just had a long flight. We have a short week and you go into the office, you know, and sometimes it’s not easy to have a great attitude. You look at Gronk and Gronk’s over there in his locker, naked, smiling like, ‘Hey, what’s up, dude?’ That’s just Gronk, and those are the things you’re going to miss and obviously you’re going to miss his attributes.”"

If hearing Edelman describe Gronkowski as “a big old teddy bear” doesn’t instantly bring a warm smile to your face (and maybe even a wistful tear to your cheek), you probably don’t have a heart. Either that, or you’re not a true Patriots fan.