It wasn't often that Rob Gronkowski saw single coverage in the passing game given the fact it usually ended in a disaster for opposing defenses, as the future Hall of Famer made a career out of beating safeties, cornerbacks and linebackers alike.
So, when Gronkowski was asked Tuesday during a Q-and-A for Autograph NFTs what individual player provided the most difficult challenge, his answer was rather complementary. Gronkowski, who played the past two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and now will become a free agent, responded with an ex-New England Patriots teammate.
"I'm going to go with my teammate: He's kinda underrated, he played about 10 years in the league, he just retired last year. It would be Patrick Chung," Gronkowski said, as transcribed by MassLive. "I wouldn't say he's considered one of the best out there, but personally I went against him in practice all the time and watched him in games. He was just super consistent.
"He always brought it. He was physical. He was quick. He was fast. And he brought his A-game every time. He didn't like getting beat," Gronkowski added. "If he got beat, he understood what went wrong and then came back and fixed it. He was always super competitive. So Patrick Chung, I believe also made me a better player throughout my career."
Chung was one of Bill Belichick's most beloved Patriots during his 10 seasons with New England, too. Chung, a versatile defender that was able to play a hybrid role of linebacker-safety, won three Super Bowls with the organization and played 141 games in New England. Chung retired before the 2021 season.
NESN's big game coverage is presented by Berkshire Bank.
