Rob Gronkowski is arguably the greatest tight end of all time, and as the regular season winds down, we could be seeing the end of Gronk in a Patriots uniform, opines Tom Curran of NBC Sports. Curran breaks down all the drama between Gronkowski and the New England front office regime over the past couple of years, and thinks that the fact that Gronkowski has been severely underpaid for years played the main role in the thawing of the relationship.
Both sides are unhappy with one another, and the Patriots already tried trading Gronkowski this offseason. Given that they already deemed him non-essential before the season began it won’t be at all surprising if they want to move on at the end of the year, and it’s highly possible Gronkowski will want to move on as well, as Curran writes he’s grown tired of the ‘Patriot Way.’ Curran thinks the writing is on the wall that things are coming to an end, and Gronk is having a very disappointing season by his lofty standards. His body has been breaking down, and he hasn’t been his usual game-breaking self most times this season. If it is indeed the end, it’ll be an end of an era in Foxborough.
Here’s more from around the league:
- On the subject of the Patriots, the team brought in CFL players defensive back Tevaughn Campbell and receiver Jordan Williams-Lambert for workouts, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN (Twitter link). Since CFL players aren’t eligible to be signed until after the season, these workouts are likely for consideration for reserve/futures contracts to be handed out in 2019.
- While he’s already rewritten the rule book about what a running back can do at his age, Adrian Peterson isn’t done yet. The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer wants to continue playing, and wants to be back with the Redskins next year,per Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com. Signed at the last minute when Derrius Guice went down with a torn ACL, Peterson has been one of the biggest surprises of the 2018 NFL season, rushing for 1,042 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s slowed down a bit as the season has gone on, but Washington could bring him back as a veteran mentor and change of pace option behind Guice.
- Speaking of veterans who want to keep playing, quarterback Matt Schaub hopes to be back with Falcons next year, according to Matt Winkeljohn of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Schaub is aware his NFL career might be coming to an end, as most teams are trending toward having younger players as their backups. But the 37-year-old signal caller, once one of the league’s better starting quarterbacks, hopes to be back in the place where he’s taken on a coach-like role behind Matt Ryan. If he does end up hanging up his cleats, Schaub said he wants to stay “around sports in some form or fashion whether it’s trying to do broadcasting or with an organization somehow.”
- While the Panthers were officially eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16, at least one player did get some good news. Receiver Jarius Wright got a $200K bonus for hitting his catch incentives, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). So far this season the 2012 fourth round pick out of Arkansas has 41 catches for 427 yards and a touchdown. He should be back in Carolina next year at his $2.5MM salary.
There is 0% chance that gronk plays in the nfl next season
……. arguably the greatest tight end of all time…..
Not even.
Lol ok so who’s better then? Even the biggest patriots hater can’t deny that Gronk’s the greatest TE to do it
Tony Gonzalez, Jason Witten, Antonio Gates, Shannon Sharpe, Greg Olsen, Ozzie Newsome……..just for starters.
If gronk played as many seasons as those guys he would have much better stats. I give Shannon Sharpe props tho because he changed how the position was played and obviously Tony G is a legend but gronk is in the convo with them if not better then them
If. That’s just it, those other players DID play more seasons, at an incredible level, which is why they’re better.
Maybe Gronk should have spent more time conditioning than partying.
Why do people always get skill and longevity mixed up. Best means at his best he was better then everyone else. He may not have had the best career because of his injuries but at his best he could completely change and dominate a game. Not anything any of these other guys could do.
Because longwvitity is a skill also. Gronk is injured too muxh
@jellbuc – So, if someone were to have one fantastically incredible season where they set single season records, then get injured and never play again, by your reasoning they’d be the greatest of all time?
Now do you see the flaw in your reasoning?
No one said a one season wonder. There is a big difference between someone that had one great season and someone that had a number of historic and dominate seasons. Jim Brown and Barry Sanders are widely considered as some of if not the best backs in history. Neither played very long. Are you saying neither are amongst the greatest?
I would take Barry Sanders over anyone in the league that played 5 or 10 years longer then he did.
I’m just saying a player that was one of the best in the game for 10 or 15 years such as Gates is not at the same level as Gronk who was the best for 5 or so years.
How is Greg Olsen better than Gronk? Olsen gets injured all of the time and Gronk is better than Olsen in almost all of the tight end stats.
Who has more catches?
Gronk averages 12 more catches per season
I noticed that you didn’t answer my question. Once again, who has more catches?
Right. Not an argument. IS
Agreed. He is not the greatest TE of all time and there is no argument
Who wrote this crap? Gronkowski is probably 4th or lower behind Gates, Winslow and Casper. I’d actually take Heath Miller over this clown any day of the week.
Might as well delete your account, you don’t know football
HEATH MILLER over gronk?? My man let me get whatever your puffing on because dayum
This kid comments on every post about the Pats and has something negative to say every time. Don’t mind him just a jealous little twerp who’s life is clearly so bad he feels the need to make worthless idiotic comments showing how little he knows about sports. Pathetic life
“quarterback Matt Schaub… once one of the league’s better starting quarterbacks”
Since when did PFR start interjecting ridiculous commentary in their rumors news? Sheesh. As LT once said, “kids, that’s why you don’t do crack.”
2009 with the Texans he lead the league in yards with 4770. Was fifth in tds with 29. 12-4 in 2012 with 4008 yards. Hardly a bum. Can be considered one of the better qbs during that time.
Gronk the best TE ever?? One word……Mike Ditka.
Iron Mike was the prototype that changed the position of TE from blocker to receiver. He was pretty good at keeping rowdy fans away from the team huddle too…lol.
That’s two words, lol! Gronkowski is in the top three.
Gronk a top 3? What one of the top 3 best at the disabled list? Top 3 what a joke.
Gonzalez , Gates, Winslow, Sharpe. Ohh but hey Gronk played in NE so he must be the best. Bahahaha
Thank you for your astute analysis, Bubba.
Gronk has been injured too much to be considered greatest TE of all time
how many combined rings does gates, witten, gonzo, winslow, casper, olsen? multiply that by two and you’re getting close to gronk – end if story, mic drop
True but they have way more bracelets than Gronk.
12 touchdowns in 13 playoff games – keep drinking milk with those fancy bracelets
No touchdowns in 6/13 playoff games. Just terrible.
patriots dynasty’s been one of the best in sports history, every winning records been shattered
That’s just your stupid opinion.