No Gronk helps rivals
With career in limbo, foes keep dream alive
INDIANAPOLIS — The sight of tight end Rob Gronkowski running routes for Tom Brady in the Patriots offense usually is a nightmare for opposing teams.
Will that nightmare still exist next season?
Perhaps when he considers all his options — and the Patriots sweeten his deal — Gronkowski will be back terrorizing defenses.
The rumor mill has been on overdrive about what Gronkowski might do. The tight end, perhaps taking notice, responded last night with a tweet that said simply: “clueless.”
But until Gronk stops tweeting cryptic messages and gives a definitive sign, we’re left to think about what might happen if Brady loses his biggest weapon.
At the same time, the Patriots’ top AFC challengers, as they roam the NFL combine this week, can dream about the possibility of not having to face the big lug. They can root for Gronk to stop spiking footballs and start body-slamming wrestlers in the WWE.
Dolphins coach Adam Gase gave an impish grin when asked about Gronk becoming a wrestler. He might have wanted to give the obvious answer, but he caught himself.
“I don’t want to root for that,” Gase said with a smile. “That’ll probably draw him back in (to football) if enough of us start rooting for that.”
In other words, he’s cautiously optimistic he won’t have to watch No. 87 kill his team anymore, but he won’t provide Gronkowski any ammunition and sway his decision.
“I don’t know what’s going on with all that,” Gase added. “I just know when he’s in there, it’s very difficult to handle their offense. He’s a game-changer for sure. He made some plays (against us) not many guys can make.”
Those sentiments are common among NFL coaches, and nobody really knows what’s driving Gronk toward retirement at age 28. It could be all the injuries he’s endured, or the wear and tear on his body finally catching up. Perhaps he’s grown disenchanted with the Patriot Way. Maybe his decision to adopt Brady’s training regimen at TB12 caused friction.
Whatever the motivation, Gronkowski is contemplating his next move.
And while returning to football makes the most sense financially (it is the expected route for him to take), it might not be that simple.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who was able to keep Gronk in check in the season opener by putting safety Eric Berry on him, deferred to the tight end.
“I want to do what’s best for the league, and Gronk’s good for the league,” Reid said. “Now, I want him to do what he feels physically he can do, and not put him in jeopardy. But I think he’s good for the league.”
Texans coach Bill O’Brien, who coached Gronkowski in 2010-11, was a bit torn.
“He’s meant a lot to the Patriots. He’s an awesome guy, a great player,” O’Brien said. “Maybe secretly we’d like (him to retire) . ... He’s one of the tougher players for anyone to defend. But I just loved coaching that dude. He’s a 6-7, 265-pound guy who can run like a deer. He can catch anything that’s thrown to him. He’s a great blocker. I have nothing but great things to say about Gronk.”
New Titans coach Mike Vrabel, who was O’Brien’s defensive coordinator last season, can understand Gronk’s hesitation from a health standpoint.
“Every year, when you get to a certain age in this league and you’ve battled injuries, there’s some reflection that goes on after the season,” Vrabel said. “What do I want to do with the rest of my life? How does my body feel? What does my family feel about this? How is this going to impact the rest of my life? I did those same things.”
Vrabel also understands the dynamic and chemistry between Brady and Gronkowski. There’s a reason they’ve hooked up for 12 touchdowns during the playoffs, an NFL record they share with Joe Montana and Jerry Rice. There’s a reason opposing coaches won’t shed many tears if Gronk heads to the WWE.
“Tom has a lot of confidence in him as a player. Mixed with his size and his ability, his love for the game, and his passion, that’s the one thing I respect when I watch him, how much he loves football, the way he plays, his style of football. Whether he makes a decision to continue to play or not, that’s something I really respect about him.”
Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff added: “I think we’re always imagining the great ones not playing against us because they’re so good. But he’s just so good on so many levels. He’s done such a heck of a job in this league. He’s the guy teams do not want to play against.” Will their wish come true? Probably not. But until Gronk makes it official, we’re still guessing.