FOXBORO, MASS. (WHDH) - New England Patriots star tight end Rob Gronkowski told reporters after practice Thursday that he never considered holding out from training camp for a new contract.
“No, it hasn’t even came close to considering that. Not even one bit,” he said. “What I can do, though, is keep preparing, keep showing up every day, keep doing what I’ve got to do to get better.”
Swirling rumors this past offseason said Gronkowski was in search of a more lucrative contract and that he was even considering retirement, but the All-Pro offensive juggernaut shot those rumors down as his team opened up training camp ahead of the 2018 season.
Gronkowski is slated to make $17 million over the next two seasons, which is a relative bargain compared to other elite tight ends across the league. Despite that, he’s choosing to keep his focus on the field.
“There’s one thing I can do, there’s one thing I can worry about and there’s one thing that I can control, and that’s myself, that’s my play, that’s me going out there doing what I’ve got to do to help the team,” he said.
When it comes to reported turmoil within the Patriots organization, Gronkowski says things are not as bad as they seem.
“I’m not really worried about that. I mean we know what’s going on inside the building and that’s everyone working together,” he said. “Working as hard as we can and to do the best that we can to get a job done.”
Gronkowski says the team’s preparation starts with Tom Brady leading the way.
“Every single year, it’s just amazing at what he’s doing,” Gronk said of his quarterback.
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