Rob Gronkowski was absent for the sixth time this season Sunday afternoon in Foxboro, but Logan Mankins would really rather not talk about that.
During an interview with Comcast SportsNet after the Patriots’ last-second win over New Orleans, the guard was asked by CSNNE host Michael Felger about reports that Gronkowski’s continued absence has created tension in the locker room. But Mankins steered away from the question, instead saying he would like to focus on those who did play on Sunday.
“I don’t know, Mike. You know that was a huge win,” he said. “We uh — I’d rather talk about the guys that frickin’ put it on the line tonight and played their butts off and how about K.T. [Kenbrell Thompkins]Â making a huge catch, Tom [Brady] throwing a perfect ball, the defense stepping it up, [Stephen] Gostkowski making big field goals; let’s talk about those guys.”
Those comments don’t do much to refute the claims of infighting, but Mankins did say that the ongoing Gronk saga has not been a distraction this season.
“Not to us. We come in, game plan, work hard at practice,” Mankins said. “The guys that are there, they’re there; the guys that aren’t, they’re not.”
Hear more in the video below.
