News

Gronk on Goodell visit to Foxboro: 'He couldn't even get to the stadium'

BOSTON — As fans across New England have made clear, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is not welcome in Foxborough.

The commissioner's contentious decisions regarding Deflategate have worn out his welcome all over New England and fans probably don't even want to see him back at Gillette Stadium.

But the question has been posed time and again whether he would make an appearance at the home of the Patriots.

"He couldn't even get to the stadium," tight end Rob Gronkowski said in an interview with ESPN Friday morning. "I really don't think so. The fans are nuts, they're wild and they have the Patriots' back no matter what. They have Tom's back, I'm telling you. He won't get through the highway."

Gronk was forced to sit out the playoffs and the Super Bowl after having back surgery at the end of the regular season.

ESPN asked Gronk about his recovery, his thoughts on missing the Super Bowl and the commissioner's visit.

"I don't think he can even land in the airport in Boston, because Patriots fans are the best fans, they're the most loyal fans, I'm telling you. They might just carry out Roger themselves," he said.

"It was great to see him hand over that trophy," he added.

Gronk was a notable absence on the team in the playoffs, but other receivers turned in big performances to carry the Pats to their fifth Super Bowl championship.

"It's a great feeling to be part of the organization of the whole team," Gronk said. "It was tough at some points, you want to be out there with your boys."

He was also asked how long he planned to keep playing.

"I'm not really sure, I still love playing the game and right now I want to play as long as I possibly can," he said.

You can watch the whole interview below.