Going into the 2025 season, there wasn't a single analyst or fan who would have suggested the Patriots had even a sliver of a chance to make the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl, mostly because of all the changes the team underwent throughout the offseason.
They were in the midst of a major roster overhaul, with a new head coach and staff and a lot of pressure on the shoulders of Drake Maye going into his second season. Not to mention, they hadn't ended a season with a winning record since 2021, and even that year was deemed lucky by most.
All the changes were sure to keep them from being competitive for at least a few years, so when they went on a 10-game winning streak, won the division, then went on to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, it was beyond shocking.
The result against the Seahawks wasn't, however, to those who still believe that their 2025 success was all due to their easy schedule, and now that they're set to go into a year with one of the top-10 most difficult slates of games, the Patriots are back to being overlooked and dismissed well ahead of the 2026 season.
Despite making the kind of upgrades the roster needed, even the coaching staff is already writing them off as a legitimate contender. But the addition of wide receiver A.J. Brown has some, like Rob Gronkowski, believing they have the right group to make the trip to Inglewood for Super Bowl LXII.
Rob Gronkowski believes in the Patriots to make another Super Bowl run
In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, the Patriots legend had a lot to say about the impact that Brown will inevitably make on the offense, and because of that, Gronkowski believes the wide receiver is the x-factor to lead New England to another successful season.
So much so, that he could make their trip back to the Super Bowl much easier.
"I think he’s going to be the X factor to put the Patriots back into contention of being in the Super Bowl. I mean, it’s so hard to claim you’re going to the Super Bowl and win the Super Bowl. But I would say he’s the X factor of getting them in contention of being Super Bowl contenders again.
That’s all you can ask for going into the preseason. That’s all you can ask for going into the season, there’s no doubt about that. To go back to the Super Bowl, you’ve got to upgrade your roster, and no doubt A.J. Brown is the upgrade that they needed."
It wouldn't be a stretch to suggest that the Patriots' 2025 roster was probably one or two pieces away from being a championship-winning team, and the fact they added a player like Brown, on top of the other additions they've made to the offense, seems to fit exactly what they needed to make that statement a reality.
They bolstered the offensive line after the group fell apart down the stretch last year, and on top of adding Brown, they also added a fullback (Reggie Gilliam) and another receiver (Romeo Doubs), both of whom are expected to become integral parts of their game plan.
Maye is already projected to take another leap in Year 3, so their quarterback situation is set, and with all the help he's been given, he is expected to thrive even more. So if the offense was the weak link last year, it shouldn't be this time around.
That makes Gronk's take not seem too far-fetched, although Patriots' rivals will surely think so, even if that's coming from a place of fear that the longtime AFC kings are back.
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