Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski agrees officials are targeting him on pass interference
Rob Gronkowski is fed up.
The New England Patriots’ tight end, who escaped serious injury after a low hit that left him writhing in pain on Sunday night against the Broncos, was flagged twice for offensive pass interference before leaving the game, his fifth and sixth such penalties of the season.
During a Tuesday appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub, Boston Herald Patriots reporter Jeff Howe said the NFL is “absolutely” targeting the 6=foot-6, 275 pound Gronkowski with the OPI calls. Gronkowski, or someone who tweets for Gronkowski, believes he is too:
The statistics would certainly seem to bear out his frustration: Gronkowski’s six OPI penalties are more than any NFL team has to this point this season save three; Oakland ans Washington each have six as well. The Patriots as a team have 10. No other player has been flagged for OPI more than three times (the Chiefs’ Jeremy Maclin, Texans’ DeAndre Hopkins, Buccaneers’ Mike Evans and Washington’s Jordan Reed).
It was a one-word tweet, and certainly nothing incendiary, but particularly for a New England player, where guys are taught to say as little as possible, Gronkowski’s tweet is worth noting.
