A former New England Patriots star is keen for Bill Belichick to become an NFL analyst after missing out on a coaching role.
Rob Gronkowski admits it was ‘very sad’ to see his old coach leave the Patriots but wants to work with him again on TV.
Belichick came to a mutual agreement to end his 24-year spell at the Patriots in January following his worst regular season in charge.
The 71-year-old led the team to nine Super Bowls during his reign, winning six, but failed to reach one following the departure of Tom Brady in 2019.
Bill Belichick has been tipped to land a job as a NFL analyst
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Belichick was linked with an immediate return to coaching, reportedly having multiple interviews with the Atlanta Falcons.
But that move didn’t materialise and all head coach jobs have now been filled ahead of the 2024 season.
Belichick is keen to get back into coaching next year but could try his hand at being a TV analyst in the meantime.
Gronkowski, who won three Super Bowls under Belichick, would love to reunite with him at Fox.
He told the Eye on Foxborough podcast: “Adding Coach Belichick to the mix? I was hoping that that happens. And it still may happen.
“He hasn’t signed with anyone. It would just be so cool if Coach Belichick joins us on the pregame show, and then we could have some fun from there.
“This is the first rumbling I’m putting out there about it, so hopefully it comes true now.”
Gronkowski spent eight years of his NFL career with the Patriots and says he owes a lot to Belichick.
The former tight end added: “It was very sad to see Coach Belichick go, because there wouldn’t have been a dynasty, there wouldn’t have been 20-plus years of a winning culture without Coach Belichick.
“He set the standard. Coach Belichick was the standard. And without him, none of this was possible. There’s no doubt about that.
“And to see him go was sad. I mean, I had a tear. Without him, like I said, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
“I kind of needed that structure as well in my life.
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Bill Belichick left the New England Patriots in January
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“I wouldn’t be where I am right now to this day without Coach Belichick being tough on myself and helping me get to the next level at practice or in a game. So I would never, ever, ever change a thing.”
Gronkowski’s comments come after Marc Ross recently suggested Belichick’s coaching career could be over.
NFL analyst Ross told TMZ: “As far as a head coach, yeah, I think this might be the end of the road for him.
“If he wants to take a step back and be a coordinator, that might be something down the line.
“We’ve seen great head coaches go be coordinators at other places, but will he want to do that? That’s the situation for him.
Bill Belichick was Rob Gronkowski’s coach for eight years at the New England Patriots
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“What really happened was it was Bill Belichick the name and rings and you can’t dismiss what he’s done in the league.
“But when you’re a team and looking at all the different factors about bringing him in there, that throws a lot of things out of whack for you and you’re saying ‘Do we really want to take this on? We’re going in a different direction’.
“And the way he goes about running an organisation, is that the way we want to do it?
“So unfortunately the head coaching career could be over for Belichick but there may be something on the cards for him if he wants to do that.”
