The New England Patriots lost a lot this offseason. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores left to be the head coach of the Dolphins, and guys like Trent Brown, Trey Flowers, and Chris Hogan all left in free agency.
But the most significant player the defending Super Bowl champions lost didn't leave to go to another team. Instead, tight end Rob Gronkowski retired, ending a legendary career. Gronkowski is arguably the greatest tight end to ever play the game, and even as he dealt with numerous injuries the past few years, he was still a force to be reckoned with.
The Patriots' offense will miss him greatly, and he'll be hard to replace. The team signed Austin Seferian-Jenkins this offseason, who currently projects as their starter. That's a pretty big downgrade, so the Pats could look to add additional tight end help. With the Patriots trading for pass-rusher Michael Bennett, many have speculated that his brother, tight end Martellus Bennett, might rejoin the Patriots.
Bennett spent 2016 and 2017 with the team, and won Super Bowl LI with the Patriots. He retired after the 2017 season, and unfortunately isn't planning on coming back.
“That’s not me, I’m not the one (to replace Gronkowski),” Bennett recently told TMZ Sports.
While the prospect of playing with his brother must be tempting, Bennett is focused on building his multimedia production company. The Patriots will have to look elsewhere for tight end help, and they could find it through a trade. The free agent market is pretty bare at the moment, so a trade would be the best way to land a big name tight end.
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