Nobody circled this one on the calendar when it first launched, but Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski’s Dudes on Dudes has quietly become one of those Thursday drops fans look forward to. This week, the streak takes a small timeout.

“No episode release tomorrow as the whole Nuthouse will be celebrating Thanksgiving! But be on the lookout at 9 AM EST on Friday for this week’s brand new full episode,” Edelman wrote on Instagram, revealing the entire crew is taking the holiday to be around their families.

For anyone who hasn’t caught up yet, the free Thursday gives you time to do so. The podcast was inaugurated in October last year, hosted by two cornerstones of the Patriots‘ most successful dynasty. Much like the title suggests, it’s two dudes talking football, usually, with a third guest who fits the criteria.

Every week, typically on Thursdays, they spotlight three “dudes,” and dig into what makes them good, or interesting, or memorable. They trade old stories, break down standout performances, and wander into whatever caught their eye from around the league. It’s laid-back, but thoughtful enough to pull you in. However, last week’s episode was pretty insightful and wholesome.

Titled “Gronk’s Return to Foxboro & Talking Patriots,” it entailed a preview of the Patriots-Jets matchup with a third guest: a young fan named Connor who was brought in thanks to a partnership with Make-A-Wish. He stayed through the entire thing and talked football with two people he probably grew up watching.

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But the highlight of the last episode might’ve been Gronk talking about signing that one-day contract to retire as a Patriot, something fans have been waiting to hear him say out loud for a while now.

Gronk’s one-day contract with the Patriots

No matter how his career ended in Tampa, Rob Gronkowski will always feel like a Patriot. He’s stitched into the fabric of that franchise, and it never quite sat right that he hadn’t retired in New England colors. Earlier this month, he and the team finally fixed that. Gronk signed a one-day contract, walked back into the building, and officially retired as a Patriot.

And on this week’s episode, he explained just how much that day meant to him.

“Went up to RKK’s office, had a great conversation with him. I actually got to meet Coach Vrabel for the first time in my career…It was such a special day. It was an honor to just go back into the Patriots building and see so many media members that I’ve seen before are still there…It was just very, very special,” he said.

The whole thing came together after a moment this past August, when Gronkowski attended the opening of a “Gronk Playground” in Boston. His longtime friend and charity partner, Susan Hurley, nudged him about making it official. Robert Kraft earlier said the organization had planned for Gronk to retire as a Patriot once he became eligible for the team’s Hall of Fame.

And it’s hard to argue he didn’t earn every bit of that recognition. When his run in New England ended, Gronkowski was the franchise leader in receiving touchdowns with 79. He won three Super Bowls there. So even if he took a final detour through Tampa, this is where he belongs.

Rob Gronkowski is a Patriot for life!