National Football League

Julian Edelman: Rob Gronkowski once brought 'easy button' to Patriots practice

Published Oct. 27, 2023 6:14 p.m. ET

New England Patriots legend Rob Gronkowski has always had a personality, which former Patriots and now FOX Sports teammate Julian Edelman can attest to.

On Friday's edition of "The Herd," Edelman told a story that provides a new layer to Gronkowski's personality and elite play (hint: that was easy).

"We used to have goal line seven-on-seven every Friday, and no one could cover him [Gronkowski]," Edelman said. "We'd be on the goal line, and he'd be Mossing guys and jumping up over guys, and [Bill] Belichick would just sit there and twirl his whistle [and go] ‘what is going on?’ And one week he comes out, and I'm talking he would score like eight touchdowns in this period. You couldn't cover him, you throw it anywhere, the guy's not coverable.

"You remember those easy buttons from Staples? He pulled out an Easy Button and just started pressing the easy button at practice after he scored. When you perform, Belichick doesn't say anything; he laughed. … he was a dominant practice player"

Edelman and Gronkowski were teammates in New England from 2010-18, winning three Super Bowls (2014, 2016 and 2018 NFL seasons).

As for the dominance Edelman — who was the Super Bowl LIII MVP with 10 receptions for 141 yards — alluded to, Gronkowski is a likely First Ballot Hall of Famer. Across his 11-year NFL career (nine seasons with the Patriots and two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Gronkowski totaled 621 receptions (10th among tight ends in NFL history), 9,286 receiving yards (sixth) and 92 receiving touchdowns (third).

Gronkowski also led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in just his second season (17 receiving touchdowns in 2011) and posted four 1,000-plus receiving yard seasons and four 10-plus receiving touchdown seasons. The tight end was a five-time Pro Bowler, four-time All-Pro, the 2014 NFL Comeback Player of the Year and part of four Super Bowl teams, the 2020 Buccaneers being the fourth.

In the meantime, Edelman and Gronkowski will keep attempting to break things in the studio.