Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski talked about the importance of A.J. Brown with training camp on the horizon.
Brown was acquired by the Patriots on June 1 in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, giving quarterback Drake Maye a top wide receiving option. The three-time All-Pro wideout has been excited to join the Patriots and figures to be a key part of the offense moving forward.
Gronkowski, who spent most of his career as a top playmaker for the Patriots, knows how vital that role can be for a football team. He believes Brown was exactly the kind of player the team needed to get back to Super Bowl contention.
“I think he’s going to be the X factor to put the Patriots back into contention of being in the Super Bowl,” Gronkowski said, via Fox News’ Scott Thompson. “I mean, it’s so hard to claim you’re going to the Super Bowl and win the Super Bowl. But I would say he’s the X factor of getting them in contention of being Super Bowl contenders again.
“That’s all you can ask for going into the preseason. That’s all you can ask for going into the season, there’s no doubt about that. To go back to the Super Bowl, you’ve got to upgrade your roster, and no doubt A.J. Brown is the upgrade that they needed.”
The Patriots have improved on the offensive line, along with bringing in both Brown and Romeo Doubs as receiving weapons. Maye will have more firepower than he’s ever had in his NFL career.
And Brown tops that list as the first true No. 1 receiving option the team has had in years.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Rob Gronkowski pinpoints ‘X-factor’ for Patriots’ Super Bowl return
