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Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski attend YouTube Brandcast 2025 at David Geffen Hall in New York City. and Rob Gronkowski attend YouTube Brandcast 2025 at David Geffen Hall on May 14, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for YouTube)

Rob Gronkowski kept things exactly on brand after his induction into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame — mixing humor, nostalgia, and a little chaos into what could have been a polished, straightforward moment.

Instead, Gronkowski turned his Hall of Fame press conference into a story only he could tell.

And, fittingly, it involved Julian Edelman.

Speaking from his new boat — a detail that felt perfectly in character — Gronkowski shared a message he received from Edelman shortly after the honor became official.

“Yeah, Jules gave me a little, you know, voicemail text message. He loves those. He lives for and dies for ‘em,” Gronkowski said. “And usually I read them but this time I listened to this one. But he congratulated me big time and it was just really cool.”

What followed was a response that quickly turned into a full-circle moment between two of the most iconic players of the Patriots dynasty.

“I just wrote him back. I said, two guys in 2010, we’re at Splash, going into my rookie year that we’re at Splash, it was a nightclub, and I was taking shrimp off of a tray when the waitress wasn’t looking. And I was eating them,” Gronkowski said.

Then came the line that instantly stood out.

“And I wrote two idiots back in 2010 now going back to back in the Patriots Hall of Fame for both of us first round inductions.”

It was classic Gronk — unfiltered, self-aware, and rooted in the kind of story only he and Edelman could fully appreciate.

A Full-Circle Moment Years in the Making

Gronkowski and Edelman entered the NFL just one year apart, quickly carving out roles in very different ways. Edelman in 2009 and Gronkowski in 2010.

Gronkowski arrived as a second-round pick with massive expectations, while Edelman came in as a seventh-round selection trying to transition from college quarterback to NFL receiver.

What followed was one of the most productive and clutch partnerships in franchise history.

Together, they helped lead the Patriots to three Super Bowl championships, consistently delivering in high-pressure moments and building a connection that became synonymous with the team’s sustained success.

Edelman was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2025. Gronkowski followed one year later, making them back-to-back inductees — a rare and fitting recognition for two players whose careers were so closely intertwined.

For Gronkowski, that connection clearly still carries weight.

“It was just cool to hear from Julian and he also just gave me props,” he said. “And just being the player that I was. And just it was a complete honor to play with a complete football player, guy that brought it every single day.”

Beyond their playing careers, the connection hasn’t gone anywhere. Gronkowski and Edelman now co-host the popular “Dudes on Dudes” podcast together, where the longtime teammates bring the same chemistry, humor, and unfiltered storytelling that defined their time in New England.

Still the Same ‘Two Idiots’

Even in a moment that typically leans formal, Gronkowski never strayed far from the personality that made him one of the most beloved figures in Patriots history.

A Hall of Fame press conference on a boat. A story about stealing shrimp at a nightclub. A heartfelt tribute delivered through humor.

That’s Gronk.

And while the accolades now include Hall of Fame recognition, the dynamic between him and Edelman hasn’t changed much.

“So, Julian got in last year, so I wanted to copy him this year,” Gronkowski added.

In the end, the story wasn’t just about a text message.

It was about how two unlikely paths — a second-round tight end and a seventh-round quarterback-turned-receiver — led to the same place.

From “two idiots” in 2010 to Patriots Hall of Fame inductees, back to back.