Rob Gronkowski doesn't believe the Antonio Brown drama that surrounded the Buccaneers late in the 2021 season played a role in Tampa Bay losing to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs.
Distractions, after all, are part of life in professional sports, and the Buccaneers tight end insisted this week in an interview with TMZ that him and his teammates, including quarterback Tom Brady, were well equipped to handle the adversity thrown their way.
"No, I wouldn't say in the locker room it (had any negative impact)," Gronkowski said. "There's so many experienced pros in our locker room. It's not like we have a young locker room or anything like that, where it's just all young guys who've never been in adverse situations before. So, we've got Tom, who's seen many situations in sports before. We've got experienced coaches who've been in a lot of things before."
Gronkowski is no stranger to dealing with potential hiccups, having spent almost a decade in New England -- the epicenter of the Spygate and Deflategate controversies -- and now two seasons in Tampa Bay, where the NFL universe directed its attention once Brady signed with the Bucs.
So, when Brown blew up on the Bucs' sideline in Week 17, ultimately leading to the wide receiver's release, Gronkowski leaned on a lesson he learned while playing for Bill Belichick with the Patriots.
"When things like that happen, it's a big story," Gronkowski told TMZ. "You've got to just focus on what you've got to focus on, and that's what a lot of guys did in the locker room. A lot of professionals in the locker room just stayed focused on what you've really got to do, and that's basically what I did, too. Because that outside noise, it can affect you if you let it get to you. But if you just block it out -- that's one thing I learned in New England big time in the nine years I was there: Block out the outside noise. And I've got to totally agree with that, man. It's going to stick with my life forever."
Oftentimes, blocking out the noise is easier said than done. And one certainly could argue Brown's abrupt departure hurt the Buccaneers, on and off the field, even if it wasn't necessarily the primary reason for Tampa Bay's postseason exit.
But Gronkowski, 32, has seen a lot throughout his NFL career. The Brown situation, while unique, simply provided another test, for which a lengthy stint in New England had Gronk well prepared.
