Robert Kraft says Gronk trade was "never in the works" and "completely made up"

Matt Stone | Boston Herald

“I guess when your team is good, people are looking for things,” said New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

And he’s exactly right. Sometimes things are fabricated just to create a distraction or to create coverage in the offseason. Although we may never know what goes on behind closed doors, Kraft made a clear point to address the Rob Gronkowski trade rumors while speaking to reporters at the Myra Kraft Community MVP Awards event at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday.

“That was never in the works. It was just completely made up.”

The Gronk trade was first reported by freelance writer Adam Kurkjian on Friday when he wrote that the Patriots were in talks with the Tennessee Titans and the San Francisco 49ers. He also claimed that Kraft and Belichick had met to talk about the deal and that Tom Brady threatened to retire if it happened.

But multiple sources say otherwise.

"I think we have to be careful in society today that people can't just come out and say things,” Kraft said. “This bit about us trading [Rob Gronkowski] to the 49ers or Tennessee. There's no basis to it, and it gets a life of its own. I just want to go on the record at today's event to make sure that you all understand that there's no truth to that. People shouldn't be able to do that."

Patriots media relations director Stacey James also made a statement: “I would say with the utmost confidence that none of that is true. None of it.”

Patriots Insider Tom E. Curran and Mike Giardi also reported that there was no Gronkowski trade coming.

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