With all the hoopla about Tom Brady winning the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers right after he joined them, Rob Gronkowski has flown under the radar.
The iconic tight end also won the Super Bowl with Tampa in his first year. One could argue that his performance was even more phenomenal than Brady's when you consider he had been out of the game for a couple of years prior to that season. As he enters his second year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, here are some things we can expect from "Gronk," as the Bucs look to chase a two-peat.
Form is temporary, class is permanent, so they say. Whoever came up with that term was clearly talking about Rob Gronkowski.
He is widely considered to be the greatest tight end in NFL history, and with reason. He has the most touchdowns by a tight end in the post-season and the most receiving ends by a tight end in Super Bowl history. His record among tight ends is the highest for receiving yards and touchdowns per game.
It is, therefore, not a stretch to say that he will continue in exactly the same vein this season. Expect him to combine with Tom Brady again and again... and again. It would not be a surprise if Rob Gronkowski keeps up those spectacular numbers this season as well.
It's easy to forget, but Rob Gronkowski had already declared retirement before being coaxed out of it by his friend Tom Brady turning up in Tampa. With the regular season stretching to 17 games and Rob Gronkowski not getting any younger, expect Bruce Arians to rest him a lot more. While it may be considered heresy to bench the greatest tight end of all time, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will want to keep him pristine for the playoffs.
That brings us to the final point regarding what to expect from Rob Gronkowski this season. He may be used occasionally, which could create the illusion that he is not all that he used to be. If anyone makes that mistake, expect Rob Gronkowski to come back with a chip on his shoulder to prove his doubters wrong and catch on fire during the post-season, as he always does.
When the going gets tough, the Gronk gets going.
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