Rob Gronkowski could be set for a bigger role at Fox Sports next season.
The legendary tight end, who made $70 million and finished his eleven-year NFL career as a four-time Super Bowl champion, has contributed to both Fox NFL Sunday and Fox NFL kickoff as a studio analyst in recent years.
But with the retirement of Jimmy Johnson, the Pro Football Hall of Fame coach who had been the face of Fox Sports and their NFL coverage for three decades, Gronk has been tipped to step up.
Front Office Sports (FOS) published an article this week that suggested the network’s next move is one of several ‘burning’ sports media questions that needs to be answered ahead of the 2025 season.
“It’s standard for the top NFL pregame shows to boast a former coach on the studio desk, preferably a Super Bowl winner like Johnson at Fox and Bill Cowher at CBS,” Michael McCarthy of FOS wrote.
“But the 81-year-old former Cowboys coach has been a part-timer for a couple of seasons now. Rob Gronkowski has been doing more on the league’s most-watched pregame show.
“The 35-year-old Gronk delivers a more youthful, irreverent vibe alongside TV monuments like the 76-year-old Terry Bradshaw and 65-year-old Howie Long. Fox loves stars.”
Gronkowski, who spent much of his career with the New England Patriots, certainly has the experience and personality required to be the new face of Fox’s NFL coverage.
Of course, he is not the only Foxborough legend working with the network.
Tom Brady, who won six of his record seven Super Bowls with the Patriots, made his debut in the booth for NFL on Fox alongside play caller Kevin Burkhardt in 2024.
Brady’s mammoth deal sees him paid $375million over 10 years, and his first season culminated in covering Super Bowl LIX from New Orleans in February.
Gronkowski, who combined with the quarterback for more than 100 touchdowns in the NFL, has already shared high praise for his former teammate’s work in the booth.
He said last month he is ‘so proud’ of the ‘excellent job’ Brady is doing.
“‘He has definitely improved as well since his first couple games, which is understandable,” Gronkowski explained.
“I mean, it’s such a tough job to do; there’s so much pressure on you. You never called a game ever, for that long in your life, to be up in that booth and break down plays like that.
“But you get better as you go on, and that’s all… I expect nothing less from Tom Brady as well, to get better because he loves to practice good habits, he loves to get better, he’ll do anything it takes to get better.
“And just to see his improvement from week one to where he is in the playoffs now is just tremendous, didn’t expect anything less.
“He’s done such a great job in the playoffs; it’s like he’s a veteran now.”
If Fox decide to push Gronk as a new face of their network, they will have two legends from New England at the helm of their coverage.
Johnson, 81, who won two Super Bowls and a college national championship as a coach, announced his retirement last month after three decades of broadcasting.
“The most fun I ever had in my career, that’s counting Super Bowls and national championships, was at Fox Sports,” he said during an appearance on The Herd With Colin Cowherd.
“But I’ve made an extremely difficult decision. I’ve been thinking about it for the last four or five years and I’ve decided to retire from Fox. I’m going to miss it.
“I’m going to miss all the guys. I’ll see them occasionally. It’s been a great run starting 31 years ago.”
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