Bill Belichick has evaluated hundreds of NFL prospects during his coaching career, however, few made a worse first impression thanRob Gronkowski. Long before they became one of football’s most successful coach-player duos, the future Hall of Fame tight end nearly talked himself out of theNew England Patriots without saying much at all.
The story resurfaced on July 18, offering a hilarious reminder that even one of the Patriots’ greatest draft picks almost got crossed off the team’s board before his career had even started.
Bill Belichick Says Rob Gronkowski’s Patriots Visit Nearly Cost Him His Chance
Bill Belichick and girlfriend Jordon Hudson on the dirt track before the 2026 Kentucky Oaks race at Churchill Downs on Friday, May 1, 2026
Speaking with Colin Cowherd on The Herd, North Carolina head coach Belichick looked back at Gronkowski’s pre-draft visit with the Patriots and admitted it was one of the worst interviews the organization had ever conducted. In his eyes, Gronkowski actually fell asleep during the visit, leaving several New England coaches convinced that he was not the right fit for the franchise.
“When he came in on his visit he fell asleep. It was a terrible visit, one of the worst we ever had…”
"When he came in on his visit he fell asleep. It was a terrible visit, one of the worst we ever had…"@colincowherd asks @UNCFootball head coach Bill Belichick about Rob Gronkowski's time with the Patriots pic.twitter.com/Mj6wtos9MX
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) July 17, 2026
Then, the Patriots already had plenty of cause to be wary. Gronkowski exhibited top talent at Arizona but came into the 2010 NFL Draft carrying a history of injury problems, having missed all of his junior year due to back surgery.
Luckily for Gronkowski, however, one phone call made all the difference in the way that the Patriots viewed him. Belichick made contact with head coach of Arizona, Mike Stoops, who highly recommended the tight end’s receiving skills even after the bad first impression. This was enough for the Patriots to move up and take Gronkowski with their 42nd overall selection in the second round.
It did not take long for Brady to find his most trusted partner in crime in the 6-foot-6 tight end, and they formed one of the most prolific passing duos in the NFL. During his Patriots tenure, Gronkowski racked up 521 catches, 7,861 yards receiving, and 79 touchdowns, contributing to the Patriots’ three Super Bowl victories, and another with Brady on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Taking into account the horrible first impression he left on the Patriots, things could have gone a very different way for Gronkowski.
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