Rob Gronkowski Explains NFL View From FOX Analyst Role

Former NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski discussed his transition from player to FOX Sports analyst, while also sharing evaluations of the Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots and Patrick Mahomes during interviews with Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. in October 2026.

According to Chiefs Wire, Gronkowski retired from playing in 2022 and now appears as a pregame analyst on FOX NFL Sunday. He said the role has changed how he studies football.

"Being an analyst now for a while is actually making the game slow down. I see the game very differently now. I used to go out there and be like, I'm just gonna run by this guy like that.

I used to play based on my physical traits, and I knew the game a little and watched it a little. But now I'm watching it way more than when I did when I was playing, because you got to watch games all day long. You've got to watch five games.

You've got to know what's going on. You've got to know what you're talking about. I'm starting to watch games, and man, I wish I knew as much as I did when I was playing, because I'm seeing it now," said Gronkowski, FOX Sports analyst.

Gronkowski also described working alongside former teammates Julian Edelman and Tom Brady at FOX Sports after their successful NFL careers.

"That's what's so great about FOX: everyone's great there. It's like family. But what makes it feel even more like family, and even more comfortable for us, is that Julian's there as well.

He's a teammate. Tom's (Brady) is there. We all have our different roles.

Julian's on the first show, I'm on the pregame show, and then Tom's in the booth. But we still feel comfortable because we know we have each other, and we interact whenever possible, which makes it so cool. It's unbelievable how we took this football family and the generation we're in, and we're continuing it with Fox.

It's amazing," said Gronkowski, FOX Sports analyst.

Gronkowski discussed Chad O'Shea's role with Kansas City after the Chiefs hired him as wide receivers coach. O'Shea previously worked with Gronkowski during his Patriots tenure from 2008 to 2018.

"He brings a lot of experience to the table. He brings a lot of great personality. I love the way that he coaches, and he brings a lot of knowledge.

I mean 'Chaddie' (Chad) O'Shea. I said it before. He's one of the top wide receiver coaches in the league.

Why? Because he's been all over the place. He's coached everyone before.

Wes Walker's, Randy Mosses. He's been an offensive coordinator. 'Chaddy' O'Shea's seen it all. He's been a part of it all, and he knows what he's talking about, and he has the knowledge, and he is by far, I would say, a top wide receiver coach in the game," said Gronkowski, FOX Sports analyst.

Gronkowski recalled his former Patriots teammate Julian Edelman's intense practice style and competitiveness.

"Julian (Edelman), just how much passion he had on the field at practice. He was like a chicken with his head cut off. You didn't know what he was going to do out there in practice, and that's what made him so great.

He would just try to find ways to fire himself up so he could be at the top of his game. He would cause a mess by just trying to fight his teammates and the defensive back," said Gronkowski, FOX Sports analyst.

He added more details about Edelman's approach during Patriots practices.

"I'm like Julian; that's our defensive back, so that's when he definitely needed a Bounty paper towel to clean up his freaking mess of just trying to fight our own teammates; he did it all the time. But I think it was to get him going. He fought around.

I'm like, he had to stop. We had to start yelling. I'm like, dude, that's a guy on our team.

We're mid-season, but he would get him going. So yeah, that's what a lot of people don't know about him, but that's how big of a competitor he was," said Gronkowski, FOX Sports analyst.

Gronkowski evaluated the Patriots after their Super Bowl appearance last season and discussed the pressure facing a defending AFC champion.

"There's definitely a target on their back compared to last year. I mean, they went to the Super Bowl; they're AFC champions. People want to gun for them.

People want to see where they stand against the New England Patriots. There's no doubt," said Gronkowski, FOX Sports analyst.

He also explained how teams must continue improving when opponents focus on them.

"We had to find ways to get better. We had to find ways to counter that, and that's what we did great. And that's what was so great about having guys like Julian Edelman and Tom Brady, and Coach (Bill) Belichick, around because they were psychos in that aspect.

That's the best way to put it: psychos. Oh my gosh, they're game planning us. They know us this way.

How can we get better? How can we design plays that they don't know about? And what kept us so great: we had an organization; we had teammates finding ways to get better every year instead of ever being satisfied, and that's how you one-up your opponents—always grinding, always finding an ounce or niche to get better than the opponents that are coming for you," said Gronkowski, FOX Sports analyst.

Gronkowski said Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes remained an elite player after knee surgery and praised Kansas City's outlook.

"They are a very dangerous team, and now Travis (Kelce) can do his thing. Patrick Mahomes is obviously playing at an elite level. That guy's bad.

He's a bad dude out there. He really is bad, like in a good way. I'm saying bad!" said Gronkowski, FOX Sports analyst.

Gronkowski also discussed Mahomes and the Chiefs' ability to remain competitive.

"They're a team that's going to be lethal, and they're just the way that they played. You haven't seen them play like that all last year, and you know that they're not going to change that up. They're not going to go downhill; they're going to be in contention every game, and they're going to be competing at the end," said Gronkowski, FOX Sports analyst.

Gronkowski separately discussed his view of the NFL through the analyst role and his connection with former teammate Julian Edelman.

"So many Julian (Edelman) stories, but like we talk so much that there's so many out there," said Gronkowski, FOX Sports analyst.

He continued by referencing Edelman's competitiveness and past experiences together.

"There's no doubt about it, but Julian definitely needed some Bounty paper towels in his day to clean up his mess. He has used the Bounty paper towels. That's when he became my wingman," said Gronkowski, FOX Sports analyst.