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An offseason scandal isn’t what a team new to Super Bowl contention needs as it tries to build momentum for next season, but that’s where the New England Patriots find themselves ahead of the 2026 campaign.
It goes without saying what happened to Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini, as their relationship dominated NFL news earlier this season. And while the Patriots are trying to prepare for a tough training camp, entering the season as the reigning AFC champions, the quizzes, columns, talk shows and more may continue.
It’s not easy to deal with outside noise, and as players say they’re not focused on it, completely ignoring it is a challenge.
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Rob Gronkowski visits the Thursday Night Football on Prime set at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., before the NFL game between the New York Jets and the New England Patriots on Nov. 13. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
But Patriots star tight end Rob Gronkowski is no stranger to the outside noise of reporters and fans alike. Throughout his successful years in New England, he’s had to deal with chaos in the locker room, the Aaron Hernandez scandal and more.
“Gronk” is the right person to ask how his former team can deal with this kind of cloudiness to start the season, and he was quick to answer.
DRAKE MAYE INTERVIEWS PATRIOT COACH MIKE VRABEL AS OFF-FIELD CONFLICT CONTINUES
“It’s as simple as this: win. You win,” he told Fox News Digital, while highlighting his partnership with Ryde and its launch of SLEEP, the brand’s new performance shot. “You come together as a team. You work together, you work your butt off.”
Is it as easy as winning? History has shown, especially up in Foxborough, of course. No matter what was happening off the field, in the meeting rooms or in the locker room, winning cures all.
The win shows that the team is still a work in progress and has what it takes to overcome adversity such as Vrabel’s fraud this offseason, which could undo the work that has been done.
“Everybody has to show that they’re accountable during training camp. That they’re accountable during the preseason. When the regular season comes, you’ve got to win the kid,” Gronkowski added.
New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel talks with quarterback Drake Maye during the second quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, on Oct. 19, 2025. (Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
“When you win, it solves all the problems. It really does. It’s crazy how winning in the NFL, it really does and you’re ready to go. You’ve got to win, baby.”
While Vrabel and his staff are still sitting on the bench for the 2026 season, the team returns much of its roster that led them back to the Super Bowl. And quarterback Drake Maye has a new top wide receiver in the pipeline, as the AJ Brown trade was finally completed with the Philadelphia Eagles to bring him north after the departure of Stefon Diggs.
And, it’s easier said than done when it comes to winning in the NFL. “Any given Sunday” is a phrase for a reason. But perhaps even more important is that the Patriots keep doing what they’re doing in 2025 — New England is going 14-3 to tie for the best record in the conference — to quell the inevitable buzz that will begin in training camp next month.
CONTINUOUS SLEEPING IS EDUCATION FOR GRONK
It was in high school that Gronkowski realized just how little quality sleep was for a budding athlete. He needed to take a nap before every basketball game he played after school, and it was a habit that followed him throughout college and into his professional football career.
After all, someone like Gronkowski, a beast on and off the field, needs rest and recovery to be able to continue all these years.
That’s why Gronkowski was excited to partner with Ryde, an active health brand, and help promote how great their new, two-ounce SLEEP shot is for users who want to fall asleep faster at night, while supporting quality sleep.
Ryde has introduced the new SLEEP shot, designed to help users improve their sleep quality while waking up feeling refreshed for the day. Rob Gronkowski, an NFL tight end, has partnered with the company to launch a new product. (Ryder)
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“It fits my lifestyle,” Gronkowski said. “It’s a living opportunity that fits my daily goals. It’s all about balance. It’s all about recovery too, and that’s what this picture SLEEP does for me. You have to sleep if you want to recover, if you want to work hard all day, and you want to do it again the next day and the next day. You have to sleep and recover so that Ryde can play for me.”
Between SLEEP and fan-favorite FOCUS shots, Gronkowski knows he’s putting natural ingredients into his body, insisting that “it’s all natural.” SLEEP uses melatonin, GABA, L-theanine and chamomile to help users calm down, and Gronkowski found it perfect for his daily routine.
“This is the first time I have spoken about being a sleep advocate and I believe in it a lot,” he said. “I always took a nap because I believe in getting enough sleep. If I sleep through the night, I don’t need to sleep much. That’s where Ryde SLEEP comes into play. I can sleep through the night and be ready to go the next day.”
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