Gronk Never Considered Holding Out For New Contract
BOSTON (CBS) -- After an interesting offseason that included rumors or retirement and an extremely awkward motocross press conference, there have been rumblings that Rob Gronkowski and the Patriots have been working on a reworked contract.
Gronkowski is set to earn a base salary of $8 million for the upcoming season, a bit of a underpayment considering some of the ridiculous contracts other NFL teams handed out to much lesser players this offseason. He has two years remaining on his current deal worth $17 million, which is a bargain for such a dynamic playmaker and important part to New England's success.
But training camp started Thursday, and there has been no word on that reworked deal for one of the best tight ends to ever play the game. There were some speculation that Gronkowski may hold out of camp if he and the Patriots couldn't work out a new contract, but after the first practice session Thursday, Gronkowski said that was never on his mind.
"I didn't even come close to considering that. Not one bit," Gronkowski told reporters. "What I can do is keep preparing and keep showing up every day. Keep doing what I got to do and get better."
Gronk didn't seem interested in talking about a potential new deal at all Thursday, agreeing that the situation will take care of itself.
"I'm just focused on getting better," he said. "There is one thing I can do, one thing I can worry about, one thing I can control and that's myself. That's my play and me going out there and doing what I have to do to help my team."
Asked if he's happy in New England, Gronkowski gave a casual "Yeah" before he walked off the podium.
The four-time All-Pro was non-committal to his future in the moments and months following New England's Super Bowl LII loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, leading to a lot of wild speculation over the last five months. Gronkowski said Thursday that he took the offseason to reflect on many things, and more importantly, get his body ready for the season.
What he found in those moments of reflection was pretty obvious when you saw him on the field Thursday.
"I love the game of football," he reiterated after practice. "I said it in the summer, the game of football is amazing to play when you're feeling good. When you're not feeling good and banged up, the game of football can be miserable. What I learned is how to keep feeling good, keep going and keep enjoying the game of football."
Gronkowski is indeed feeling good after hitting the field for New England's first practice, both physically and mentally. He isn't concerned about any in-house drama that many believe clouds the Patriots these days, because in Gronk's view, such drama doesn't exist.
"I feel like there is nothing like that going on in the building. Everyone is together as a team, as a unit," he said.
The Patriots are favorites to head to their third straight Super Bowl in February, but they all know there is a lot of work to be done before they can even think about a trip to Atlanta in six months. The disappointing end to last season is in the past, and Gronkowski is ready for the new challenges that will come his way in 2018.
"Just coming into the new year there is always motivation no matter how your season ended. This is a new season, a new grind," he said. "It's not about what happened in the past, win or lose, it's about what goes on in the future and the present right now."
