Tom Brady Explains “The Real Rob Gronkowski’s Back”
September 14th, 2021
This should make Bucs fans’ mouths water.
There’s no question that Rob Gronkowski is a Hall of Fame tight end, and he’s in the conversation about greatest tight ends of all-time.
But what version do the Bucs have with 32-year-old Gronk?
Tom Brady spoke last night on SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio and explained that superstar Gronk is back physically and mentally.
“When I see him play now, the real Rob Gronkowski’s back,” Brady began. “The spirit of him, which makes everyone love him as a person, as a teammate, as a player. That spirit that he has in his eyes about his joy of life, his joy of football, is back. And when I see him play the other night, that’s his most authentic self. And for someone who’s watched him for a long time, he had it, it faded away and he ended up retiring because he didn’t find the joy that he had. And to see him regain it is one of the really great satisfying things for me in pro sports. …
“He had a great Super Bowl. He had a great offseason. He had a great training camp. I knew he was poised to have an incredible night the other night.”
Powerful stuff right there, and Brady added that Gronk’s “football IQ is off the charts.”
September 14th, 2021 at 9:09 am
He forgot to mention his Sports Illustrated swim suit model fiancee. It’s great to be the King.
September 14th, 2021 at 9:10 am
He’s the size of a house. Looks bigger than his listed stats
September 14th, 2021 at 9:25 am
Mom, where’s my football pants!!!
September 14th, 2021 at 9:27 am
These guys are having extreme fun in Tampa……you can see it all over them….and it shows with their play and infectious to the other players…..it’s fun to win!!!
September 14th, 2021 at 9:27 am
Gronk is the best, but definitely lost a step from his prime. When healthy, as he seems to be now, he is still close to his best self.
He regularly got banged up in NE as they did not have many other targets for many years and he was overused. The Bucs is the best situation for him at this point of his career.
September 14th, 2021 at 9:28 am
Good summary comments from the GOAT. Reminds us that Gronk is smart – as well as physically gifted. So glad to have both here!
September 14th, 2021 at 9:37 am
Posted this on another thread but go back and watch Gronks post game interview. His neck and forearms are huge compared to last year. Tacklers we’re bouncing off him. He hit the gym hard in the off season.
September 14th, 2021 at 9:47 am
Gronk is a monster! The best part of it is that he has no pressure to carry the team at all. He just needs to play smart, complementary football and give Brady a big target when he needs it. And when the ball is thrown in his direction, he is going to catch it, so being ultra reliable and efficient in his touches is another major benefit of having him on the field.
September 14th, 2021 at 10:05 am
Brady is right, Gronk looks like he’s back to his old self. I think he looks like the 2017 version: He’s moving well, he has bulked up again, and he’s having fun… something that was conspicuously absent that final year in New England.
There are flashier and faster pass-catching TEs, but Gronk remains the gold standard in terms of being a complete TE. Gronk can handle DEs and OLBs, he’s a crafty route runner, he has great hands, and he keeps the troops loose on the sidelines and in the locker room.
September 14th, 2021 at 10:08 am
Best thing I like about this duo is the chemistry. 50+% of the time Gronk is blanketed and TB throws before he gets separation ….and if he doesn’t, he still muscles the ball away. it’s insane the over the shoulder routes where there is a 2 inch window and Gronk turns at the last minute and grabs the ball. Either Gronk knew it was coming or he is just an insanely talented TE that catches balls like cats land on their feet.
If you threw a line drive at the back of his head at a bar he would probably just catch it with one hand behind him and still sip his beer without a spill.
September 14th, 2021 at 10:28 am
Lol Robert. If that throw was from Brady, he would catch it while pounding the rest of his beer
Gronk is clutch and has toms implicit trust. He won’t put up gaudy volume stats getting 15+ targets a game like waller and Kelce. Be he gets you that clutch third down when you need it.
Still remember him carrying that 2015 pats team to the brink of a championship in 2015 with his clutch 4th down catches in arc championship when Brady was getting mauled by von miller. If it wasn’t for that missed extra point Brady could have 8 ships and manning 1… Either team beats the Panthers easily
September 14th, 2021 at 10:39 am
No doubt, Gronkowski had contributed to Brady’s success.
September 14th, 2021 at 10:54 am
The 2015 NE team actually lost to the Broncos after muffing an easy punt. They were beating Denver handily 21-7 in the 4th quarter, when an untested special teamer (Chris Harper) muffed his first and only punt. That led to a Bronco TD and a major momentum change. It went to OT whereupon NE lost on the first series when the defense couldn’t stop a simple running play.
That led to the AFC championship game being played in Denver. That’s when Brady got sacked, hit and pressured repeatedly all because their idiot C kept bobbing his head prior to the snap, tipping off Von Miller and the rest of the Bronco defense. That was one frustrating season.
September 14th, 2021 at 11:02 am
Gronk looked dominant in that game. I still can’t believe Brady to Gronk is a real thing in a Bucs uniform. I used to have Brady and Gronk on the Bucs in Madden but you put ridiculous lineups like that because it’s all make believe….but this is real. Same with Brady to AB. Crazy! I think 30 years from now people talking NFL history will look back at this Bucs team and still wonder how the hell Jason Licht pulled this off.
September 14th, 2021 at 11:04 am
So many Pats fans invading JBF.
September 14th, 2021 at 11:32 am
Patriots fans must be dying.
Gronk is going to have +100 yards and 3 TDs in Week 4.
September 14th, 2021 at 11:49 am
“I’m special!”
September 14th, 2021 at 11:52 am
“Night and day from last year
throw it between 3 players and Gronk will catch it every time
Brady likes to throw to open receivers but Gronk is the only receiver that Brady will squeeze the ball into tight windows because Gronk always comes thru with the catch”
Kobe Faker
September 14th, 2021 at 12:12 pm
Tuddies
September 14th, 2021 at 12:14 pm
Gronk had a good season last year to be honest.
September 14th, 2021 at 12:30 pm
Yes, where did all those Patriots fans come from?
September 14th, 2021 at 12:46 pm
Welcome to all the Pats fans!! I grew up in Mass and followed the Patriots (Sam the Bam). I have been in FL since 1996.
September 14th, 2021 at 1:37 pm
Great to hear, Bill_T. I’m over in Chestnut Hill, about 4 blocks away from where Brady used to live.
I’ve been following the Bucs from afar since… forever. I grew up in So. Cal. As a kid John McKay was my favorite coach so when he vacated USC for Tampa Bay I took a strong interest.
September 14th, 2021 at 4:53 pm
Bill_T, Sam The Bam Cunningham just passed last week. The good old days when Plunket was the QB, John Hannah & Russ Francis. Then Grogan came in as QB and was beaten like a house pet.
September 14th, 2021 at 5:14 pm
Will the team Gronkowski please stand up, please stand up? His mom got him his football pants and look what we got. Real glad he had spotty cell coverage when Tom asked him what he should do after leaving NE. Come to Tampa Bay! Yes his wife is gorgeous! She went from ebbing bunny to beach bunny!
September 14th, 2021 at 5:15 pm
Team and ebbing, I should work for Joe’s editing staff! 🙃
September 14th, 2021 at 6:07 pm
Ebbing? Isn’t that a fictional town in Missouri? Or maybe a town in Michigan? No…that’s Escanaba? Or maybe I’m thinking Effing, South Carolina?
September 14th, 2021 at 6:08 pm
Ebbing? Isn’t that a fictional town in Missouri? Or maybe a town in Michigan? No…that’s Escanaba? There is a town in SC pretty close, but the management won’t let it through.
September 14th, 2021 at 8:38 pm
I’ve moved around my whole life. Never more than five years in one place.Ive been a Raiders fan,a Niners fan,and a Jaguars fan before settling on the Patriots in 2003. Thought I was a Patriots guy for life. Turns out I was just a TOM BRADY fan.
GO BRADY GO BUCS
September 14th, 2021 at 8:41 pm
I’ve moved around my whole life. Never more than five years in one place.Ive been a Raiders fan,a Niners fan,and a Jaguars fan before settling on the Patriots in 2003. Thought I was a Patriots guy for life. Turns out I was just a TOM BRADY fan.
GO BRADY GO BUCSm
September 14th, 2021 at 11:26 pm
I am a TB fan, not the Patriots.
September 15th, 2021 at 11:58 am
Robbie G. is rock solid, looks like he’s hungry, it’s shark week, sharpened his teeth, playing like a brand new sharpie.
Best hands in the league, best football pants and best XL cleats.
So funny to see the Patriots fans on their knees, blowing the Bucs, because we got Tom Brady and maybe even more fun to see because we got Robbie G!
The Pats had no respect they didn’t take care of Tom they didn’t talk the talk and they let Robbie G walk. Now Robbie G spikes the ball and does a little chill dance, he’s looking at you Bill, mom! Where’s my super bowl pants?
September 15th, 2021 at 3:03 pm
With the many problems of last season I think bucs would have been happy just keeping Brady healthy while they got thru the yr. But the addition of Gronk showed his blocking skills. He could help Brady stay upright. The playoff game in washington showcased just that.Gronk went full beast and manhandled their super rookie de that had been running his mouth. You peeps wanna see some monster te play go back and check out the pats when they lined up 2te with Gronk and Hernandez.I still dream of TB12getting a Duo like that again. Gronk has wr hands and he is the one Tom will throw to when the chains absolutely have to move!
September 15th, 2021 at 9:27 pm
Same as StacySteel I was a Pat’s fan that ended a GOAT fan. Go Bucs