Rob Gronkowski makes playing for Patriots sound miserable

Retired tight end Rob Gronkowski has become the latest person to make "The Patriot Way" sound absolutely miserable. 

As shared by Jenna Lemoncelli of the New York Post, Gronkowski discussed featuring for the New England Patriots from 2010 through the 2018 season during an appearance on FanDuel TV's "Up & Adams" program. 

"A regular-season game with the Patriots actually, throughout my 20s, if we won a game, the next day it felt like we still lost a game," Gronkowski explained about his experience playing under New England head coach Bill Belichick. "And if we lost a game, it felt like you were in super depression for like two days … or like for the whole week." 

Things weren't all bad for Gronkowski in New England, as he earned three Super Bowl championship rings with the Patriots before he sat out the 2019 season in "retirement." He then orchestrated a trade to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the spring of 2020, and he and quarterback Tom Brady later helped that team defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.

Despite all his success with Belichick, Gronkowski recalled how he wanted to win each time he stepped out onto a field during his New England tenure because he "didn’t want to ever feel that depression feeling for the two days after." 

Gronkowski retired again following the 2021 campaign and has recently noted that he didn't return this season because his "mindset wasn't there." According to Adam London of NESN, Gronkowski generated headlines earlier this week when he poured cold water over the idea of Brady returning to the Patriots for a second run with the franchise. 

Brady turns 46 years old this coming August, and it's unclear if he wants to continue playing for any team. However, it's safe to assume the seven-time Super Bowl champion likely doesn't want to go into any "super depression" over one regular-season loss at this point of his life.