Rob Gronkowski spent nearly a decade with the New England Patriots. And while he was an elite force on the field, the former tight end was just as well-known for his antics and how to get away with them. Recently, former Patriots safety Devin McCourty explained the real reason behind it, as Gronk was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.

“He got away with — everyone always talks about me, (Tom) Brady, Matthew Slater — Gronk got away with the most,” McCourty told Mike Florio. “Gronk would do the exact thing Coach Belichick said, ‘Don’t do.’ Like on the bye week he’d be at an event and he would make news because of something he said or he was dancing on a stage. Bill would come in the next day, he would start off and he would come in, ‘I mean, guys, of everything I effing said in here before we left, this might have been the main thing not to do. And effing Gronk,’ and he’s going off.

“Gronk would just give him this look and Bill would stop and just start laughing. And everyone else in the room would start laughing. And you’re thinking Gronk is about to get this ultimate curse out, (Belichick) is about to go off, and it would turn into this big laughing fest. Gronk would move on, have two touchdowns in the Sunday game and everybody else would move on just like that. He never got in trouble in a team meeting with Bill. You couldn’t be mad at him. He was Gronk.”

That reaction lines up with how McCourty described the overall environment inside the Patriots’ building under Belichick, “things are hard… Bill’s not laughing often,” which puts those moments into perspective.

The baseline in those meetings was strict, detail-driven, and serious. So when McCourty described Belichick shifting from frustration to laughter mid-sentence, it stands out as a clear break from the norm rather than just a funny story.

This is not the first time such stories have surfaced. Last year, speaking with former teammate Julian Edelman on the Dudes On Dudes podcast, Gronkowski shared his memory of being called out for the first time by the former head coach.

It came after Gronk suggested it would take 10 defenders to bring him down. Belichick responded by using that clip in a team meeting. Answering Edelman, Gronk recalled:

“Coach Belichick loved not giving any info to the media or hype yourself up and make expectations that aren’t reachable,” he recalled. “…He puts that little clip up on the screen the next day, and he makes an example out of me. He goes, ‘You’re telling everyone it takes 10 guys to tackle you, how about you just shut the f up?'”

That contrast captures the dynamic. The tone in team meetings was consistent for most players. But with Gronk, it often took a different turn. Now, those moments are part of the past. And while they still bring laughs in hindsight, they also reflect why Gronkowski remains such a unique figure in Patriots history, now formally cemented with his Hall of Fame induction.

Rob Gronkowski inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame

Following his remarkable nine-year run with the Patriots, Rob Gronkowski has now been voted into the Patriots Hall of Fame on the first ballot. The former tight end beat out fellow finalists Logan Mankins and Adam Vinatieri to become the 2026 inductee. As that unfolded, team owner Robert Kraft released a statement, saying:

“Rob Gronkowski’s performance on the field was extraordinary, but it was his infectious energy and consistently positive presence that truly set him apart. He always brightened everyone’s day. He earned the respect of coaches and teammates through his work ethic, preparation and unselfish approach, while redefining what it meant to play his position. Rob became a fan favorite almost immediately and remained the standard at tight end for nearly a decade. We look forward to celebrating his induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame and, in time, the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”

While Gronk did not have the same longevity as Tony Gonzalez or Travis Kelce, he is still widely regarded as one of the best tight ends in league history. He won three Super Bowls with the Patriots and finished his time in New England as the franchise’s all-time leader in receiving touchdowns (79), second in receiving yards (7,861), and fifth in receptions (521).

Now that he is part of the Patriots Hall of Fame, Gronkowski becomes eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the first time next year. Whether he reaches Canton in his first year of eligibility remains to be seen.