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Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski revealed a surprising truth about his relationship with current Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel during a recent appearance on The Ryen Russillo Podcast.
“Everyone thinks I'm like best friends with Vrabel and everyone thinks like we won championships together, but I never even met Coach Vrabel ever in my life,” Gronkowski said. “Actually one time real quick at the NFL honors and it was for five seconds. So I don't really count that as truly meeting someone.”
Gronkowski explained that despite their overlapping ties to the Patriots dynasty, their paths never crossed in New England.
“It’s like we just missed each other in New England. I feel like we would have been great teammates together. I feel like we would have loved each other. We like have the same mentality out on the football field. Just get the job done and go full speed,” Gronkowski said. “But I really love what he's doing here in New England right now and he's just turning that program around.”
The revelation underscores the length of the Patriots’ two-decade run of dominance. Vrabel was a linebacker in New England from 2001 to 2009, winning three Super Bowls. Gronkowski joined the Patriots the following season and played through 2018, capturing four titles before retiring.
Rob Gronkowski highlights surprising disconnect as Mike Vrabel begins first season leading Patriots
Vrabel built a reputation as a versatile and reliable player during his time in New England, later moving into coaching after his retirement. He served as head coach of the Tennessee Titans, guiding them to multiple playoff appearances, and then spent the 2024 season as a coaching and personnel consultant with the Cleveland Browns before returning to New England to take over as head coach in 2025.
For Gronkowski, the disconnect is striking given both players’ central roles in separate phases of the Patriots’ dynasty, which began in 2001 under Bill Belichick and lasted nearly two decades. The overlap was close, but not close enough to place them in the same locker room.
Vrabel now enters his first season leading New England, with expectations of revitalizing a franchise that has struggled in recent years. The Patriots are 2-0 in preseason play following a 20-12 victory over the Minnesota Vikings last Saturday.
They will wrap up their exhibition schedule Thursday against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on Prime Video.
Once preseason concludes, Vrabel’s squad will prepare for its Week 1 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 7. The game will mark Vrabel’s regular-season debut as Patriots head coach, a new chapter in a storied franchise where both he and Gronkowski left lasting marks — though never at the same time.
