The New England Patriots were given some time off by head coach Mike Vrabel after taking down the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football in Week 11. It’s safe to say that time off was a welcome sight, considering how hectic last week was for the Pats.
After pulling off a big victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in Week 10, New England quickly turned its attention to Week 11. Off the field, the team welcomed back legendary tight end Rob Gronkowski, who signed a one-day contract with the team so that he could retire as a Patriot.
By the time Gronkowski broke into the NFL in 2010, Vrabel was no longer playing for New England. As a result, Gronk’s return to Foxboro, MA, resulted in him meeting Vrabel for the first time. When the future Hall of Famer revealed everyone’s always surprised to learn he never played with Vrabel, the Patriots head coach fired off a quick five-word response.
“This place couldn’t handle it,” Vrabel said about the thought of him and Gronkowski playing together for the Patriots
Gronkowski is known just as much for his big personality as he is for his skills on the football field. Before he arrived in town, though, Vrabel developed a reputation for being one of the most fiery players on the team, as he was notorious for always trash-talking Tom Brady during practice.
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It surely would have been interesting to see how Bill Belichick handled having Gronkowski and Vrabel on the same team, but it was probably better for his own well-being that they didn’t share the locker room at the same time. After beating the Jets, the Patriots will be back in action in Week 12 when they take on the Cincinnati Bengals.
