Rob Gronkowski Admits Cheating the Buccaneers After Declaring Patriots Dominant Against the Steelers

Retirement was supposed to be the easy part. Rob Gronkowski had four Super Bowl rings, 92 touchdowns, and a career that most players would trade a limb for. I mean, being a security blanket to the GOAT, Tom Brady. Yeah, sign anyone up. But the moment the pads came off and the structure disappeared, so did the sense of purpose. “Once you retire, that routine is completely out the window,” Gronk confessed on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast. “You start feeling mentally weak, like you’re all over the place.” Apparently, having all day to chill wasn’t the vibe.

“Every single hour of the day is scheduled. You know when you’re going to eat, sleep, work out, run plays. Then it’s just… gone,” he said. It’s not a new concept that athletes struggle with retirement. But hearing it from Gronk—aka the human party cannon—makes it hit differently. And just when you think he’s about to turn the page into a chapter called “Mindfulness and Meditation,” here comes the plot twist.

Because, of course, when the NFL implemented COVID workout protocols in 2020. Remember all the remote training, filmed sessions, self-reports? Yeah, Gronk didn’t just adapt. He scammed the system like a frat boy cramming for a final. “You had to film yourself running routes and lifting,” he said. “So instead of doing it every day, I brought out six different t-shirts. Every two runs I switched shirts, filmed everything on one day, and submitted different clips throughout. I tricked ‘em.” Congratulations to the Buccaneers’ strength staff—you played yourselves.

Work smarter not harder pic.twitter.com/ZLmSpXHlYF

— Bussin’ With The Boys (@BussinWTB) May 23, 2025

It gets even better. The Buccaneers didn’t just fall for it; they rewarded it. Gronk got every Friday off during the season and snagged extra recovery days in camp. “I had proven [myself] at that time,” he shrugged. “I truly knew I couldn’t practice every day and be fully ready on Sundays.” And really, why waste precious reps when you’re just going to score two touchdowns in the Super Bowl, anyway?

So how did Gronk end up in Tampa in the first place? Easy: Brady, sunshine, a team that actually called him, and a vibe he described as “laid back like a country club.” Yeah, no kidding. The guy was faking workouts in different t-shirts.

In the end, Gronk didn’t just outplay defenses—he outplayed the offseason. And if the Buccaneers got punked along the way? Well, they still got a Super Bowl out of it.

Now, the Gronk has a warning for the Patriots’ opposition

Let’s be real—New England hasn’t exactly been lighting up the scoreboard the last couple of seasons. Two straight 4-win campaigns? That’s more bottom of the AFC East than the Dynasty Gronk was part of. But Rob Gronkowski’s still riding high on the ol’ days. And he’s already circled Week 3.

Why? Because Pittsburgh’s coming to town, and Gronk is guaranteeing a Patriots win. Yep, he said it with his chest: “We’ve got the Steelers’ number. The Patriots always take down the Steelers, no matter what.” Sounds bold. But hey—he might be on to something.

Let’s check the receipts. Since 1998, these two teams have squared off 19 times. New England’s won 15 of them. That’s not a rivalry, that’s a big brother-little brother situation. And that includes the games after Tom Brady left town. The Patriots even beat the Steelers last season—in Pittsburgh—during a miserable 4-13 run.

So yeah, maybe history does mean something. Especially when the guy saying it caught passes in some of those beatdowns. Still, let’s pump the brakes for a second. This isn’t your 2004 Patriots or even the Brady-Belichick machine. The 2025 team looks… different. New HC with a faith in his sophomore QB and his new weapons. And a whole new vibe.

As for the Steelers? If Aaron Rodgers is running the show, that’s a whole different chess match. But again, Gronk doesn’t seem worried. He’s betting on the mystique. Or maybe just the muscle memory.

So, what’s the message here? Simple. Gronk might be off the field, but he’s still got that Foxborough DNA. He sees the Steelers on the schedule and calls it what it is: a win. But the rest of us? We’ll be watching that Week 3 clash with popcorn in one hand and cautious optimism in the other. Because if there’s one thing we’ve learned—history’s cool, but the NFL doesn’t hand out W’s for flashbacks.

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