Dec 27, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick talks to tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) and quarterback Tom Brady (12) during timeout at MetLife Stadium. New York Jets defeat the New England Patriots 26-20 in OT. Mandatory Credit: Jim O’Connor-USA TODAY Sports
Even before Tom Brady departed from New England for Tampa, the cracks were beginning to appear in the organization. The Patriots completed their second dynasty of this century in 2018-19, which would have been the last time the franchise made it to the Super Bowl. However, even before they lifted that Lombardy, the relationship between Belichick and the 7-time Super Bowl champ had deteriorated to the point of no return and Tom was so frustrated that he had already signaled his intent to his teammates that he couldn’t take it anymore and might leave anytime soon.
Rob Gronkowski joined MassLive‘s Chris Mason and Karen Guregian to discuss the “Dynasty”, the Patriots Documentary making waves, exposing the behind-the-curtain secrets and stories of the most successful franchise of the 20th century. Gronk was asked if it was surprising to him that amid all the tension and hostility, they were able to lift their 6th Super Bowl.
He stated that he finds it staggering and remarkable that they lifted a Lombardy amidst all the strife and discontent in the organization. Gronk asserted that with all that was going on behind the scenes, every individual on the team was eager to prove that he was a vital part of the dynasty. Everyone took responsibility for themselves to make sure they weren’t letting up. And just like everyone else, Tom too was making sure he was on top of his game to not get the blame for the fall of the dynasty.
All that friction was enough to get the best out of everyone. Everyone stepped up and put on great performances and, even with all the discord, whenever they stepped on the field, they put everything aside.
“It does seem a little surprising with everything that was going on, all that friction that was going, and we still won a Super Bowl, which is just remarkable,” Rob said. “I kind of feel like with all the friction that was going on, everyone wanted to prove that they had it, everyone wanted to prove that they were the guy… Everyone wanted to make sure personally you weren’t slacking. All that friction kind of made everyone step up their game more and more every single week and therefore we were putting great performances out on the field… When we all hit the field, everything was put aside. Everyone came together to be a team and put the best product out there so we could win the championship, and that’s what happened. So, in the end, I’m thankful for all the chaos that was going on.”
While the docu-series revealed intricate details about the fall of the Dynasty, it sure left out some things that have been unanswered for half a decade now.
Rob Gronkowski Hoped ‘The Dynasty’ Would Reveal the Malcolm Butler Secret
Malcolm Butler edged his legacy in the Patriots’ history even when he made that famed game-sealing goal-line interception against the Seahawks in the 2014-15 Super Bowl. However, that wasn’t for him to hold down his place as their starting CB in the 2017 Super Bowl, as Belichick didn’t let him play a single defensive snap in the game. There was the belief that the “Dynasty” would reveal the reason behind his benching by Bill.
However, that didn’t happen as the question around his benching remains a mystery. And Gronk, too, has no clue as to why that happened. He said,
“I actually have no idea why Malcolm Butler was benched. From what I have read, the Dynasty was going to reveal why Butler was benched. I still have absolutely no clue and I am still wondering why. That’s the mystery everyone wants to know.”
The dynasty ended in 2020 when Brady departed for Tampa. Now everyone from that last Super Bowl has either retired or is playing elsewhere.
The documentary and its release date have been criticized for targeting and villainizing Belichick and have been blamed for everything that went wrong while being denied the appreciation and respect for his part in building that dynasty. However, Bill’s former players have continuously defended their former head coach since the documentary was released.
