Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski didn’t hold back when discussing his former team’s issues on “Up & Adams” recently.
He was asked directly if he felt the team would be in decline without Tom Brady at quarterback. The greatest tight end of all time didn’t sugarcoat his response.
“Yeah, absolutely, 100 percent,” Gronkowski said. “I definitely had that conscious feeling the whole time I was there, and it’s proven itself. There’s no question about it. Brady is the meat. He’s the top guy in that organization — no question about it, from start to finish. .from the way he represents himself on the field to the way he represents himself off the field, it just fits the mold of where everyone else is in place. Without Tom, I found that it would trickle down and not work anymore. He was also at the quarterback position. Someone who takes a pay cut. So it sets a standard that no other player gets an absolutely ridiculous contract.
“When things get tough, I mean Tom Brady always finds his way out of trouble. Now you just look at them and it’s like things get tough and they just take it like, ‘Oh , it doesn’t matter. We’re going to lose. We don’t have that good of a team.” It’s a little strange. Tom would never accept this. We will be on the training ground, making no excuses and not embarrassing anyone. That’s what’s happening right now, I feel like people are abandoning each other. They didn’t click. That simply won’t happen. “
Even for the most loyal Patriots fans, it’s hard to argue with Gronkowski’s point. Brady is New England’s ultimate teammate, and his leadership has helped the team win six Super Bowls.
He used the same leadership to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl championship in his first year with the team in 2020.
The Patriots are an absolute mess right now. Their record this season is 2 wins and 8 losses, which is the worst record in the entire AFC Champions League. Last Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts was one of the worst in franchise history.
Now, head coach Bill Belichick may be leaving, and the team will likely be completely rebuilt in 2024. The current version of the Patriots is nothing like the Patriots Brady led for nearly two decades.
When the number 12 is in the centre, your job feels different.