For years, the mental pictures of Tom Brady’s ball connecting with Rob Gronkowski have haunted several NFL fans. Their combination led to four Super Bowls between two different teams.
The duo is now back together again, but that connection isn’t there anymore. The pair were having a bit of fun while roughhousing at Fanatics Fest 2025 in New York City when Brady tossed a Super Bowl trophy to Gronkowski, and it broke into two pieces, with one remaining in the former tight end’s hands.
Tom Brady Teases Rob Gronkowski After Patriots Legends Break Super Bowl Trophy
Gronkowski spent his whole career alongside Brady and caught 90 touchdowns from the Patriots and Buccaneers’ legendary quarterback en route to four Super Bowl rings as a duo. Brady had won three with the Patriots even before Gronkowski’s arrival, and when he tossed an extra one to him at Fanatics Fest 2025 in New York City, the former tight end broke it.
He could only catch the upper part of the trophy while the lower fell on the ground. “You broke it!” Brady yelled as he ran toward Gronkowski, who denied the allegation and said the former quarterback had thrown it too hard.
The pair continued blaming each other before Brady jokingly said, “You are washed up.”
Even if the trophy was a real one, Brady and Gronkowski share an impressive eleven between them and can afford to lose one.
Gronkowski was drafted in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Patriots and became Brady’s favorite target in 2011. The tight end totaled 90 catches and 1,327 yards and led the league with 17 touchdowns that season. He made the Pro Bowl and was named first-team All-Pro for his efforts.
He won his first Super Bowl and was named Comeback Player of the Year in 2014. Returning from multiple knee tears the year before, he totaled 82 receptions, 1,124 yards, and 12 scores. He won two more Super Bowls before retiring after the 2018 season, marking the end of the Patriots dynasty.
Issues between Brady and head coach Bill Belichick gradually spilled over into the media, and the seven-time Super Bowl champion eventually left the franchise the following season. He signed with the Buccaneers in 2019 and was joined by Gronkowski the following season for another Super Bowl victory.
The former tight end played another season for the Buccaneers in 2021 and retired for good after that season. Meanwhile, Brady played two more seasons, and while his final year with Gronkowski was one of the best of his career, he posted the first losing record of his career in his farewell season.