Rob Gronkowski’s cryptic tweet about his contract doesn’t seem to have New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft overly concerned.
Gronkowski sent a mixed message earlier this month, tweeting he’s underpaid while also saying he doesn’t play for the money. The statement led some to believe the Patriots tight end is unhappy with his contract. The true conspiracy theorists even have speculated he could hold out at some point.
“Every time I see him, he’s smiling, he hugs me, he almost lifts me up,” Kraft told reporters Monday at the NFL annual meeting. “So, I think he’s quite happy to be here, and we love having him. We got him a partner in Martellus Bennett, and I think that they should be a pretty fun combo for our fans to watch this year. I know that Tom Brady is very happy with that this year.”
Gronkowski’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, was asked about his client’s contract Sunday but chose not to answer.
“I’m waiting for one of these same people to come and say, ‘We’re overpaid. Please take that money and give it to some of our friends who play on the team,'” Kraft said. “We’re doing the best we can. When you’re privileged to be successful — it’s funny, everybody believes their contributions is maybe sometimes greater than it is. I was talking with one of the senior folks at the (Denver) Broncos. They have an interesting situation going on there where everybody is coming and wants their fair share. We understand.”
The Patriots picked up a $6 million option in Gronkowski’s contract earlier this month that will keep him in New England through 2019. He signed the six-year, $54 million contract extension in 2012, and he’ll earn base salaries of $2.25 million, $4.25 million, $8 million and $9 million in the next four years. He’ll make a total of $34.5 million over the next four years, including bonuses.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
