Report: Belichick 'chastised' Gronk last season over use of Brady's trainer

After nearly two decades, has the NFL finally found the key to breaking up the Patriots dynasty? And is that key ... Alex Guerrero?

Guerrero is Tom Brady's body coach and business partner, and the object of Bill Belichick's ire. Last season the Pats head coach revoked much of Guerrero's team access, including sideline credentials, flights on the team plane, and access to any player other than Brady at his and Brady's TB12 Sports Therapy Center -- a physical training center near Gillette Stadium.

But one of Brady's teammates has been a client at TB12 since before last season, and now it appears to be a growing source of friction.

On Monday, the Boston Herald's Karen Guregian reported that early last season, Belichick "chastised" tight end Rob Gronkowski for his use of Guerrero. Per the report:

"At one point early last season, chastised Gronk in front of the players for being a TB12 client, according to a source. So maybe that was Belichick's not-so-subtle way of trying to keep everyone from jumping ship on the team's training staff."

Guregian also reported that Gronkowski is down to 260 pounds, below his usual 265-pound playing weight, as he works on his flexibility in an attempt to combat the injuries he has dealt with in recent years.

Last month, NBC Boston's Mike Giardi reported that some Patriots players, including Brady and Gronkowski, were "miserable" last season. His source added that the players "don't feel appreciated for the sacrifice they make," and that of lot of the tension "ties back to the Alex Guerrero stuff."

And this all comes on the heels of Gronkowski having contemplated retirement following the Patriots' loss to Philadelphia in Super Bowl LII.

Ultimately, however, Gronkowski is expected to play this season.

And as Guregian put it: "Get ready for a lean, mean Gronk machine."

--Field Level Media