ROB Gronkowski has opened up on the extent of Tom Brady’s impact on the New England Patriots and how this has changed in the year since.

With coach Bill Belichick’s future looking increasingly bleak with the Patriots after their 2-8 start to the season, Gronkowski has admitted that he saw the writing on the wall when Brady left in 2021.

Rob Gronkowski (pictured) has opened up on the extent of Tom Brady’s impact on the New England Patriots’ cultureCredit: X/UpAndAdamsShow

Brady (pictured) spent 20 seasons in New England where he won six Super BowlsCredit: USA TODAY Sports
Speaking to Kay Adams on her FanDuel TV show Up And Adams, the legendary tight end was asked if he felt things would never quite be the same without Brady.

“I definitely had that conscious feeling throughout my time there, and it has proven itself as well,” said Gronkowski.

“There’s no doubt about that. Brady was the meat. He was the ringer in that organization, no doubt about it, from A to Z.

“From the way to represent yourself on the field, to the way to represent yourself off the field, it just fit the mold for everyone else to fall in place.

“And without Tom, I saw that it was going to trickle down and not work anymore.”

Gronkowski mentioned how Brady would cut his pay for the good of the team, thus setting “the standard that no other player was going to get an absolute absurd contract as well.”

He also credited Brady with keeping the team’s fighting spirit going through the difficult times.

By comparison, Gronkowski felt the current Patriots are “just accepting it,” adding: “It’s like, ‘Oh it’s alright, we’re gonna lose, we don’t have that good of a team.’

“It’s weird, Tom would never accept that and would be out in the practice field not making any excuses either, not throwing anyone under the bus.

“And that’s what’s going on now I feel like, people are throwing each other under the bus, they’re not clicking, that would have just never happened.”

Throughout the past 24 years, the Patriots became synonymous with Belichick’s tough, hard-working, and no-nonsense style and culture.

However, Adams noted that while it had always been presented “as Bill Belichick sets the culture,” she felt that Gronkowski was “sort of saying it was Tom Brady that it’s that actually set the culture and held the culture to a standard in New England.”

In response, Gronkowski commented: “It definitely takes everyone, there’s no doubt about that, from A to Z with the whole organization. And everyone was all in.

“The culture was set definitely with coach Belichick, but Tom Brady exemplified that culture to another level to make it work.”

Without Brady, it seems Belichick’s culture may be falling apart.

In the four seasons since Brady left, the Patriots have reached the playoffs just once, losing a wildcard game against the Buffalo Bills in January 2022.

By comparison, in Brady’s nineteen years as their starter, they failed to reach the playoffs just twice.

New England’s dismal form this season has led to calls for change, even from Brady himself.

One such change some fans have called for would see Belichick replaced after 24 seasons.

A report even emerged via The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, that “a mutual parting of the ways” between the legendary coach and the Patriots was a possibility.

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Gronkowski made the comments speaking to Kay Adams (L) on Up And AdamsCredit: X/UpAndAdamsShow

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Patriots head coach Bill Belichick (pictured) has come under increasing scrutiny after their 2-8 start to the seasonCredit: AFP