New England Patriots - NESN.com
Tom Brady couldn’t help but roast Rob Gronkowski as they analyzed the New England Patriots.
Brady discussed Drake Maye’s development during Fox’s Sunday pre-game show. The iconic Patriots quarterback thinks the 23-year-old is in a great spot playing for his former offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels.
Brady then gave a pointed title to Hunter Henry while sitting next to Gronkowski, courtesy of The Comeback.
“Right now Drake Maye is playing with the greatest tight end in the history of the New England Patriots, Hunter Henry,” Brady said to exasperated reactions from the Fox crew. “I mean, this guy’s electric out there.”
The joke seemed to be payback for something Gronkowski said earlier. The four-time All-Pro laughed off the dig.
“I’ll just keep taking my shots over here,” Gronkowski said.
With all due respect to Henry, Gronkowski still holds the title as the greatest tight end in Patriots history, perhaps also NFL history.
Gronkowski holds the franchise record with 79 receiving touchdowns and is second to Stanley Morgan with 7,861 receiving yards. He also scored 12 touchdowns in 16 playoff games with the Patriots, winning three Super Bowls before picking up a fourth ring alongside Brady on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Gronkowski also garnered the most single-season touchdowns by a tight end (18 in 2011) and made five Pro Bowls before his first retirement. He should be a Hall of Fame lock when first eligible for induction in 2027.
Henry hasn’t reached that iconic level, but he’s made a considerable impact to begin the 2025 campaign. The 30-year-old has 15 catches for 204 yards and three touchdowns in four games.
While Henry won’t surpass Gronkowski, he could become the only other tight end in Patriots history to score 10 receiving touchdowns in a season. He can move closer to that benchmark when New England plays the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night.
