Rob Gronkowski really did not want to get traded to the Detroit Lions, and he knew just what to do to make sure it would not happen. The former tight end talked about how he pulled a fast one over Bill Belichick and the Patriots to avoid getting traded to the Lions.
During a recent interview with NFL insider Peter Schrager, Gronk stated he would threaten retirement regardless of the team that New England was in trade talks with. He basically made sure the team would ship him out.
“I was like ‘Patriots or nothing,'” Gronk explained. “We gotta win one more Super Bowl.”
The Patriots would eventually trade Gronk, but only because he wanted to go where Tom Brady was. Gronkowski came out of retirement as the Patriots traded him and a seventh-round pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft.
It worked out for the Bucs as the duo would be pivotal in helping the team win the Super Bowl.
Gronkowski retired for the second time in his football career prior to the 2022 season. During the 2021 season, Gronkowski had 55 receptions for 802 yards and six touchdowns.
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In 143 games, Gronkowski had 621 receptions for 9,286 yards. He has the third-most touchdowns scored by a tight end in NFL history with 92.
He will no doubt be a first-ballot hall of famer.
