In praising 49ers’ Kittle, Belichick goads Gronk
All criticism of Patriots coach Bill Belichick carries with it a disclaimer that acknowledges his incomparable eight rings. But just because Belichick’s Subwayshilling persona has become a much a part of his biography as his coaching acumen doesn’t necessarily mean he’s always on point playing “The Hoodie.”
This petty and vindictive version of Belichick re-surfaced this week when the subject of tight ends was raised ahead of New England’s game against the 49ers on Sunday.
San Francisco tight end George Kittle is unarguably among the best in the NFL. But Belichick went right for “The Legend of Gronky” when asked about Kittle in a media call this week.
“Kittle is a great player,” Belichick said Monday. “He does everything well. I’d put him right at the top of the league there, period. His ability to run, catch, get open, after the catch, block, he does everything at a high level. He’s as good as anybody that I’ve coached or as good as anybody that we’ve played against.”
“He’s as good as anybody that I’ve coached.”
We now know where Tom Brady picked up his doctorate in passive-aggressive speak.
In case you were wondering, that was a dig at Rob Gronkowski. Or more like a steam shovel. Most football types outside the Belichick household consider Gronkowski among the top two or three tight ends since the days of Pop Warner.
Gronkowski helped the Patriots win three Super Bowl rings from 2010-18. Gronkowski owns the team record with 79 touchdowns. He also landed on the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team and amassed 7861 yards receiving and 521 catches in New England.
Kittle is good. Really good. He has more receiving yards (2,945) through his first three seasons than any tight end ever. Kittle broke Gronkowski’s season record for most receiving yards by a tight end with 1,377 in 2018.
“He’s as good as anybody that I’ve coached.”
Not quite, coach. Call us in five years.
Still, there was more praise for Kittle.
“If you pay too much attention to him, he creates opportunities for some of their other outstanding players,” Belichick continued. “And if you don’t pay enough attention to him, then he can kill you. So he’s in a great system, he’s a great player. I don’t think there’s a tight end in the league, and we’ve seen a lot of good ones and had a lot of good ones, but I don’t think there’s anybody in the league that does everything overall as well as he does. He just really doesn’t have any weak points at all. Just outstanding at every phase of the game.”
All Gronkowski did in New England was generate touchdowns, ball out 100% on each play, get mauled coming off the line of scrimmage, destroy his body each week and pose shirtless with porn stars.
It’s not like he ever murdered anyone … or three people.
We all have our favorite Gronk on-the-field moments in New England.
Here are three.
The first occurred on Nov. 18, 2012. Gronkowski broke his forearm while inexplicably being out on the field to block on an extra point attempt with 3:55 to play in a game against the Colts won 59-24. The injury knocked him out for 5 weeks before he broke the same arm in a playoff win against Houston. There is no better example of Gronkowski’s willingness to do everything asked or required of a tight end than this.
The second occurred in Indianapolis on Nov. 17, 2014. As Jonas Gray scored his fourth touchdown, Gronkowski took Sergio Brown of the Colts “and threw him out of the club.”
The third was his final catch for the Patriots. On 2nd-and-3 from the Rams 31-yard line with 7:36 to play in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LIII, Gronkowski broke down the seam draped in double coverage and fully extended himself while pocketing a dime from Brady before tumbling at the 2. On the next play, Sony Michel dove into the end zone untouched for the game’s lone touchdown.
That catch was the “Dave Roberts Steal” of the Patriots’ sixth Super Bowl championship.
Why the antipathy? Gronkowski committed an unpardonable sin against Belichick — he exercised leverage. Twice.
Gronkowski was briefly “traded” to the Detroit Lions after Super Bowl LII. He voided the trade by “retiring.” He wasn’t going to play in Detroit and there was nothing the Patriots could do to make it happen. Gronkowski has been wise with his money and could afford to walk away. He did it again by “retiring” before the 2019 season and forcing the Patriots’ hand in the deal that landed him in Tampa Bay this year.
Gronkowski caught his first touchdown pass in 679 days Sunday, reuniting with a Brady pass. It was 2014 all over again. Gronkowski and the Buccaneers forever silenced the foolishness that was the “Tom Brady vs. Aaron Rodgers” debate with a 38-10 thrashing of Green Bay.
Let’s contrast Belichick’s Kittle chatter with a statement issued in Belichick’s name via the Patriots PR staff after Gronkowski’s 2019 exit.
“It was a pleasure and a privilege to coach Rob Gronkowski the past nine years. From his rookie year until his final season and through countless times in between, Rob was a major reason why we won games and championships. His elite combination of size, skill, intelligence, toughness and ability to perform in pressure situations set him apart.”
“Rob’s impact on our team and organization was felt in many ways. In the ultimate team sport, Rob was a great, great teammate. His production spoke for itself, but his daily attitude, unmistakably positive energy wherever he went and toward whoever he touched will never be forgotten.”
“Rob will leave an indelible mark on the Patriots organization and the game as among the best, most complete players at his position to ever play.”
That’s 131 words of printed insincerity for Gronkowski after nine years of making clutch catch after clutch catch vs. 159 words of unblemished verbal acclaim for this week’s opponent.
Classic Belichick?
For sure.
Classy Belichick? No chance.