For every dynasty, there’s a king and his most trusted knight. For the New England Patriots, Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski were that duo. Their hunger for success and the celebrations that followed them still sit deep in fans’ memories. That is why Kay Adams asked Gronk if he would also like a statue beside the GOAT’s 17-foot bronze outside Gillette Stadium.

“Tom is one of one,” the legendary tight end replied on the November 12 episode of the Up & Adams Show. “He’s the greatest of all time. He played till 45 years old. If I was still playing and I was on the Patriots throughout my whole career and played till, like 38, 40 years old, then I would say yes. I deserve a statue right next to Tom. But Tom is one of a kind. He had 20-plus years here. I mean, the greatest. So, a statue is just a little bit out of the question from the standards that Tom Brady set for us.”

Rob Gronkowski retired in 2019 after winning three Super Bowls in 9 years. But it was Tom Brady, who brought Gronk back into the league when he moved to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There, the duo won another Super Bowl. The TE retired for good in 2022. Tom Brady had also retired the same year, but came back for one season before finally retiring in 2023. Since then, they have taken on different roles.

After Brady signed a record 10-year $375 million deal with FOX, Gronk also joined them as an analyst. So, they have often looked out for each other. They aren’t just Patriots for life; they are also brothers.

So, it feels right that Rob Gronkowski kept his quarterback one step above him. Brady has set a standard for the entire league, with 7 Super Bowls. That is one of the reasons the Pats installed the 17-foot (including the granite base) statue outside Gillette Stadium. The 12-foot height represents his jersey number 12, while the total height represents the 17 AFC East titles.

On the other hand, Gronkowski has just one wish for his potential statue, which he revealed in a press conference this week:

“If you put one, just put me in the endzone, and be tiny. Because Tom is one of a kind. The greatest. He played for 20+ years here. I think that the only statue to be deserved here is Tom Brady.”

However, fans are hoping Gronk could have his statue next after Brady, just like the statue of Joe Montana at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, where the 49ers also approved $2.5 million to honor his legendary teammate, Jerry Rice, with one of his own. But aside from that humble request for a “tiny” statue, Gronk had one more thing on his mind – finishing his story where it all began.

Rob Gronkowski signed a 1-day contract to retire as a Patriot

The Gronk was in the spotlight as he fulfilled his long-time friend and charity partner, Susan Hurley’s wish. The former tight end signed a 1-day contract to retire as a Patriot. During the ceremony on Wednesday, November 12, he expressed his excitement after the ceremonial signing alongside team owner Robert Kraft.

“I’m a Patriot for life. My career started here and 100% needed to end here,” Gronkowski said, before honoring Hurley, who died due to cancer earlier this month. “It was an absolute no-brainer to come here and retire as a Patriot for life.”

He even joked with owner Robert Kraft about the signing bonus. But when asked if he would ask the GOAT to sign a one-day contract to retire as a Patriot, Gronk made a statement that wasn’t true.

“We all know Tom’s a Patriot for life. He’s got the statue. He probably did sign a one-day contract at the retirement [ceremony] when he went in, his first year being retired, into the Patriots Hall of Fame…He doesn’t even need to sign one; the guy’s in the Hall of Fame, statue, greatest of all-time. So it’s just an honor to be able to say I played my whole entire career with him as well.”

Well, the praise is true. It came straight from his heart, but in reality, the GOAT has never signed a 1-day deal to retire as a Patriot. In fact, Kraft wanted Tom Brady to come back, give him the red jacket, before his retirement.

However, the good thing is that they have honored Brady on multiple occasions. While Rob Gronkowski will ring the bell atop the lighthouse before the week 11 game against the New York Jets, the GOAT has already done it in 2023. TB12 was the 35th member inducted into their Hall of Fame last year. And Gronk’s retirement as a Patriot has been a long time coming.

For years, they battled together on the gridiron. The respect is mutual, and it comes from winning when no one expected them to. That’s why Brady and Hurley’s family were also in attendance when Gronk signed his one-day contract.