Rob Gronkowski calls AJ Brown the 'X factor' to put Patriots back in Super Bowl contention

A.J. Brown is already putting successful enactment with his New England Patriots teammates aft months of commercialized rumors led to the Philadelphia Eagles yet shipping the three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver to Foxborough.

It’s a matrimony that some sides were seeking, with Brown’s frustrating 2025 run coming to an extremity with a Wild Card Round nonaccomplishment to the San Francisco 49ers astatine home. Now, helium slots close successful arsenic the team’s apical receiver with Stefon Diggs retired aft conscionable 1 year.

The Patriots are the reigning AFC champions, though they were incapable to notch different ringing aft the Seattle Seahawks bushed them successful Super Bowl LX earlier this year. But they’re hoping the summation of Brown, to spell on with their young, dynamic roster, is what they request to get back.

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Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown warms up during grooming campy astatine NovaCare Complex successful Philadelphia, Pa., connected July 24, 2025. (Kyle Ross/Imagn Images)

One Patriots fable believes helium is the cardinal to astatine slightest getting them backmost successful contention.

"I deliberation he’s going to beryllium the X origin to enactment the Patriots backmost into contention of being successful the Super Bowl," Rob Gronkowski, who won 3 Super Bowls with the Patriots, told Fox News Digital, portion highlighting his concern with Ryde: "I mean, it’s truthful hard to assertion you’re going to the Super Bowl and triumph the Super Bowl. But I would accidental he’s the X origin of getting them successful contention of being Super Bowl contenders again.

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"That’s each you tin inquire for going into the preseason. That’s each you tin inquire for going into the season, there’s nary uncertainty astir that. To spell backmost to the Super Bowl, you’ve got to upgrade your roster, and nary uncertainty A.J. Brown is the upgrade that they needed."

"Gronk" has already been brought up erstwhile it comes to Brown successful a Patriots uniform, though they don’t play the aforesaid positions. Patriots violative coordinator Josh McDaniels, who utilized Gronkowski highly good during their clip unneurotic successful New England, said precocious that Brown is the "closest thing" he’s ever seen to Gronkowski.

"There’s a unit to the mode helium plays the game…maybe the closest happening I’ve seen is Gronk," McDaniels told reporters earlier this month. "This is simply a large guy."

Brown’s quality to triumph contested catches has been a calling paper of his, and wherefore helium has consistently said he’s ever unfastened adjacent if a defender is draped each implicit him. That carnal play is thing the Patriots tin utilize, arsenic good arsenic Brown’s route-running prowess that has led to 4 consecutive seasons of astatine slightest 1,000 yards receiving.

A.J. Brown of the New England Patriots sprints during a minicamp astatine Gillette Stadium successful Foxborough, Mass., connected June 9, 2026. (Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)

Gronkowski besides saw a alteration successful the Patriots erstwhile they landed a receiver named Randy Moss successful 2007, which the choky extremity besides sees a cardinal similarity with.

"The lone similarity I would accidental helium has to Randy Moss – they’re 2 wholly antithetic players. Built wholly different," Gronkowski explained. "But some large No. 1 wide receivers. They kinda had a down twelvemonth – I wouldn’t truly accidental a down year. And past they some wanted to spell to the New England Patriots. That’s the similarity I spot betwixt Randy Moss and A.J. Brown.

"I deliberation he’s going to beryllium truly focused. This is simply a imagination squad for him. He’s ever been a instrumentality of the New England Patriots, adjacent erstwhile helium was connected the Philadelphia Eagles. He came retired and admitted it arsenic well. So, I deliberation he’s going to beryllium tuned successful and acceptable to go. He’s young capable inactive to springiness it his all, spell retired determination and nutrient astatine the highest level.

"It was a immense upgrade, a immense get for the Patriots. I truly similar the move."

Rob Gronkowski attends WrestleMania 42 Night 2 astatine Allegiant Stadium successful Las Vegas, Nevada, connected April 19, 2026. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)

Quality slumber is simply a indispensable for Gronk

It was backmost successful precocious schoolhouse wherever Gronkowski realized however underrated prime slumber was for a budding athlete. He needed to instrumentality naps earlier each hoops crippled helium played aft school, and it was a wont that followed him passim assemblage and into his nonrecreational shot career.

After all, idiosyncratic similar Gronkowski, an carnal connected and disconnected the field, needs to beryllium good rested and recovered to support astatine it each these years.

It’s wherefore Gronkowski was excited to spouse with Ryde: the functional well-being brand, and assistance preach however bully their new, two-ounce SLEEP wellbeing changeable is for users looking to autumn dormant faster astatine night, portion supporting slumber quality.

"It conscionable fits my lifestyle," Gronkowski said. "It’s a precise integrated accidental that aligns with my regular goals. It’s each astir being balanced. It’s each astir the betterment arsenic well, and that’s what this SLEEP changeable does for me. You gotta get slumber if you privation to recover, if you privation to spell hard each day, and you privation to bash it again the adjacent time and the adjacent day. You gotta get your slumber and that’s wherefore Ryde: SLEEP comes into play to assistance maine recover."

Ryde has launched it's caller SLEEP shot, designed to assistance users amended their prime of slumber portion waking up feeling refreshed for the day. Rob Gronkowski, the legendary NFL choky end, has partnered with the institution to transportation the caller product. (Ryder)

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Between the SLEEP and fan-favorite FOCUS shots, Gronkowski knows he’s putting earthy ingredients successful his body, emphasizing that he’s "all astir natural." SLEEP uses melatonin, GABA, L-theanine and chamomile to assistance users unwind, and Gronkowski finds it cleanable for his regular routine.

"This is my archetypal clip truly talking astir being a slumber advocator and I genuinely judge successful it," helium said. "I ever took naps due to the fact that I judge successful slumber that much. If I get a afloat night’s sleep, I don’t request to truly instrumentality naps arsenic much. That’s wherever Ryde: SLEEP comes into play. I tin slumber done a full nighttime and beryllium acceptable to spell the adjacent day."

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