Buccaneers TE Rob Gronkowski’s latest comments feel like a direct shot at Patriots

Remember when Rob Gronkowski retired from football, left the 2019 New England Patriots without a single weapon on offense, and then came out of retirement and asked for a trade to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the very next season so he could play with his buddy Tom Brady?

That felt like enough of a shot at the organization. It was clear Gronk no longer wanted to play for the Patriots. While his injuries and overall physical health were very serious concerns (and likely still are), the commentary we heard surrounding his departure proved it wasn’t solely about that. He wanted to be some place else where the culture was a bit looser.

Now that Gronk has apparently gotten his wish, he’s already talking about a return in 2021 after calling it quits two years ago. This just feels like more indirect disrespect hurled the Patriots’ and Bill Belichick’s way.

And now he’s telling us Brady’s become more laid back?! “Around the locker room he’s been crackin’ a little bit more jokes than usual, which is cool to see.” And then?! Gronk said the biggest difference between playing under Bruce Arians and Bill Belichick is now he has “the freedom of just being himself.”

We warned you, didn’t we, Patriots fans? As long as the Bucs made it somewhat deep into the playoffs, we’d be hearing slander about New England, whether it was direct or indirect. And if that wasn’t going to be the case, the discourse around Brady and Gronk back in the postseason would’ve been nonstop … which it is right now.

At the end of the day, though, there’s no need to take any of this personally. If this is how Gronk felt, then so be it. However, the All-Pro tight end certainly exuded his character enough that he was a fan-favorite and known as a relaxed, humorous guy throughout his tenure with the Patriots.

We guess the price he had to pay was working harder (and winning) under Belichick? Because the Bucs have yet to prove anything under Arians so far. But hey, the past is the past. We’re on to 2021.

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