Gronkowski’s Return Thanks to Susan Hurley

Patriots fans can express their gratitude to Susan Hurley for Rob Gronkowski’s return to the team.

Hurley, a former Patriots cheerleader and philanthropist who passed away from ovarian cancer earlier this month, was instrumental in facilitating Gronkowski’s one-day contract with the team.

“It was incredible,” said former New England quarterback Brian Hoyer in a statement to the Post. “Gronk retired primarily to avoid a trade. But then he returned, played, won a Super Bowl, and ended his career in Tampa Bay. A significant part of that was Susan’s support of his charitable foundation. Tragically, her last wish before she passed was simply this: ‘I want Rob to sign that one-day contract and retire as a Patriot.’ And he did. It was amazing. Mr. Kraft was there too and had a lot of kind words.”

Hurley’s charitable contributions throughout New England included involvement in Gronkowski’s Gronk Playground. One of her wishes was to see him back in Foxboro, where he concluded his remarkable career.

“Rob is such a unique player. I was there in my second year, which happened to be his rookie year, and I saw him grow as a player,” Hoyer remarked. “What I admire most about Rob is that he’s the best tight end in the sport’s history, not just because he excelled in catching passes, but also because he could block like an offensive lineman. He genuinely loved it. He would block guys and seem to enjoy every moment. He brought a childlike joy to the game. Of course, there were challenging moments in New England, and playing under Bill Belichick wasn’t always easy, but Rob made it enjoyable. What a fantastic career he had.”

Hoyer also noted that Tom Brady, who moved from being Hoyer’s backup to the starting quarterback with the Patriots, was in attendance during Gronkowski’s contract signing.

Having played 15 years in the league on nine different teams, Hoyer described the Patriots as “by far” the best locker room culture he experienced.

“In poor locker rooms, you notice little groups forming,” Hoyer explained. “Small cliques tend to arise. When things go south, they often don’t address the issues; instead, those cliques take over.”

While Hoyer’s experiences with other teams, like the Steelers, Cardinals, and Browns, were less than ideal, he expressed frustration over Baker Mayfield’s tenure in Cleveland.

“Sometimes, owners, like in Cleveland and elsewhere, want to meddle. It’s their team, sure, but when they start dictating player choices and game strategy? That’s not their expertise,” he said. “You hire people because you believe they’re experts. You need to allow them to do their jobs. It’s kind of like, ‘If you need help, just signal, Kevin Stefanski.’ It’s puzzling, like when the owner decided on Shedur Sanders after already picking Dillon Gabriel.”

“Was that the owner’s decision? We’re not sure. Good organizations find great talent and let them operate.”