BOCA RATON – Drew Rosenhaus, the agent for Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, refused comment Sunday morning when I asked him whether the tight end was dissatisfied with his contract.
“Not talking about that, I appreciate you asking but not getting into that,” said Rosenhaus while working the lobby at the Boca Raton Resort and Golf Club where the NFL Owner’s Meetings are being held.
Gronkowski sent out a tweet on March 8 that alleged he was taking a pay cut when the Patriots picked up an option that keeps him tied to the team through 2019. He pulled his punch at the end of the tweet, indicating he doesn’t play for the money.
But while his compensation may not be the foremost reason he plays, it’s obviously on his mind if he sends out a message about it.
And Rosenhaus – one of the most hands-on agents in the business – would be well aware of Gronk’s disposition on this.
A comment from Rosenhaus could easily quell any concerns about an agitated Gronk. He passed.
An unexplored aspect of Gronkowski’s cage-rattling may be that he’s miffed at Rosenhaus. The six-year, $54M extension Gronkowski signed in 2012 had its advantages in giving a player with a history of back issues Gronk security. But it also allowed the Patriots to pick up the back half of Gronk’s deal with a $10M option payout this year. Picking up that option locked Gronk in at a below-market rate. That doesn’t look that awesome for Rosenhaus, especially when Gronk is sending out passive-aggressive tweets about it.
New England Patriots
If Gronk’s going to get the deal reworked, it will require the Patriots to be uncharacteristically proactive in addressing a contract that – in essence – just began and has four years to go.