Rob Gronkowski apparently would rather not play football than play for the Detroit Lions.
According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Patriots nearly traded their star tight end to the Lions during the week of this year’s NFL Draft. However Gronkowski threatened to retire if he was traded to Detroit and refused to return the calls from the Lions despite former Patriots front office member Bob Quinn and former New England defensive coordinator Matt Patricia now running the show in Motown.
Via ESPN:
The Patriots and Lions were deep into trade discussions last offseason that peaked during the week of the draft, when the teams nearly completed a blockbuster trade involving Gronkowski, league sources tell ESPN.
When Gronkowski discovered he could be traded to Detroit that week, he threatened to retire rather than go to the Lions, according to sources. Gronkowski even declined to return the Lions’ calls, even though former Patriots executive Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia were leading the Detroit organization.
When the Patriots learned of Gronk’s threats, the two sides reportedly sat down and discussed the tight end continuing his career only with New England before ultimately working out a restructured deal that gave Gronkowski an extra $4.3 million in incentives for the 2018 season.
This news certainly adds a little more intrigue heading into Sunday night’s game between the Patriots and Lions.
