"He's MVP every year" - Rob Gronkowski reveals his pick for 2021 NFL MVP
If it were up to Rob Gronkowski, the choice for NFL MVP would never change.
With the playoffs on the horizon, the end-of-the-year NFL awards are now on the minds of fans and players alike.
At a recent Tampa Bay Buccaneers press conference, Gronkowski made the case for his quarterback and good friend Tom Brady to not only be the MVP this year but every NFL season.
"Tom's MVP every year, I mean, just the way that he adjusts on the fly, you know, to his personnel, just trying to get the ball into the best players' hands or the best match up on that current play. He's just always, you know, ready to go, no matter what the situation is. So he's MVP every year, baby."
For much of the season, Brady appeared to be the MVP frontrunner, but Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has recently emerged as as a late favorite to win the award. As such, Gronkowski has done his part in advocating for his longtime teammate.
Tom Brady chasing his fourth MVP title
Tom Brady, like Aaron Rodgers, is seeking his fourth NFL MVP. The seven-time Super Bowl champion won the award after the 2007, 2010, and 2017 NFL seasons.
While the fight for another MVP award is great, it's safe to say Brady is more concerned about chasing Super Bowl title number eight. Injuries look to play a major part in the hunt for Brady's next title.
Over the last month, the Buccaneers have been plagued by injuries to several offensive players. Most notably, receiver Chris Godwin is out for the season with a torn ACL suffered just weeks ago.
In the same game, fellow wide receiver Mike Evans suffered a hamstring injury. Evans has since returned to action, but does not appear to be at 100%.
And just a few days ago, former Buccaneers receiver Antonio Brown had a meltdown of epic proportions during the third quarter of the Buccaneers' 28-24 victory over the New York Jets.
After the game, head coach Bruce Arians stated that Brown is "no longer a Buc."
Here's the video of Bruce Arians making the Antonio Brown news official: “He is no longer a Buc. That's the end of the story. Let's talk about the guys who went out there and won the game."
https://t.co/fVBlytElt0
With all of these injuries and incidents, it will be up to Rob Gronkowski to lead the way as the primary target for Brady.
Besides the two having great chemistry, which stems from their years as teammates with the New England Patriots, Gronk has been a major player this year.
Gronkowski has 48 receptions for 665 yards and six touchdowns in only 11 games played this season. Brady trusts his tight end to get open, and they have certain audibles between them that help in crunch time.
This was evident in their 30-17 win against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 13. Brady signaled for his tight end to run a corner fade, and the play went for a critical touchdown.
Rob Gronkowski says Tom Brady called an audible on the play that turned into his back corner fade touchdown. Says it brought him back to their heyday together.
If Rob Gronkowski can remain healthy, he will be, perhaps, the most significant piece of the puzzle for Brady and the Bucs to repeat as champions.
And, of course, Brady hasn't been too shabby this season. Currently, he's the only NFL player who is averaging more than 300 passing yards per game, and he leads the NFL with 4,990 passing yards and 40 touchdowns.