New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, president Jonathan Kraft and quarterback Tom Brady all have offered diplomatic responses to questions of whether NFL commissioner Roger Goodell would be welcome at Gillette Stadium.
Rob Gronkowski? Not so much.
The Patriots tight end was asked during a recent interview with ESPN’s Cari Champion whether Goodell, who remains a villain in New Englanders’ eyes for his role in Deflategate, could “come back to Foxboro anytime soon.”
“To tell you the truth, I really don’t think so,” Gronkowski said. “The fans are nuts, they’re wild, and they have the Patriots’ back no matter what. They have Tom (Brady)’s back. I’m telling you, (Goodell) wouldn’t get through the highway if our fans saw him. So I don’t think he can even land in the airport in Boston, because Patriots fans are the best fans. They’re the most loyal fans. I’m telling you, they might just carry out Roger themselves. He couldn’t even get to the stadium in Foxboro if he landed in Boston.”
The Patriots’ Deflategate punishment cost quarterback Tom Brady the first four games of this season. But Brady and the team exacted their revenge on Goodell and the league earlier this month, rallying from 25 points down to win Super Bowl LI.
New England lost just once in 15 games following Brady’s suspension, and Gronkowski, who finished the season on injured reserve, watched the post-Super Bowl trophy presentation with delight.
“It was great to see (Goodell) hand over that trophy, for sure,” Gronkowski told Champion. “I was super happy for Tom.”
Thumbnail photo via Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports Images
