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An offseason scandal isn’t what a team fresh off a Super Bowl appearance needs as they try to build momentum into next season, but that’s where the New England Patriots find themselves ahead of the 2026 campaign.
It doesn’t need to be detailed what happened to Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini when their relationship took center stage in NFL news earlier this offseason. And even as the Patriots try to prepare for a grueling training camp, heading into a season as the reigning AFC champions, the questions, columns, talk shows and more will likely continue.
Dealing with outside noise is never easy, and as much as players say they’re not focused on it, ignoring it completely is a big challenge.
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Rob Gronkowski visits Thursday Night Football on Prime at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., ahead of an NFL game between the New York Jets and the New England Patriots on Nov. 13. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
But legendary Patriots player Rob Gronkowski is no stranger to dealing with outside noise from reporters and fans alike. Through years of success in New England, he has had to deal with rumors of locker room unrest, the Aaron Hernandez scandal and more.
“Gronk” is the perfect person to ask how his former team can handle this type of cloud overhead to start a season, and he was quick to answer.
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“It’s as simple as this: win. You win,” he told Pakinomist Digital while highlighting his partnership with Ryde and its launch of SLEEP, the brand’s newest functional wellness shot. “You come together as a team. You work together, you work ass.”
Is it as simple as winning? History has shown, especially up in Foxborough, that this is the case. Regardless of what happened off the field, in the meeting rooms or in the locker room, winning heals everything.
Winning shows that a team still gets the job done and has what it takes to overcome adversity, such as Vrabel’s offseason scandal, which can eliminate the task.
“Everybody has to show that they’re accountable during training camp. That they’re accountable during the preseason. Once the regular season comes around, you’ve got to win baby,” 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)
“If you win, it solves all problems. It really does. It’s crazy how you win in the NFL, it really does, and you’re good to go there. You gotta win, baby.”
While Vrabel and his staff will remain in place through the 2026 season, the team also returns much of their roster that led them back to the Super Bowl. And quarterback Drake Maye has a new top wide receiver in the building as the trade for AJ Brown was finally made with the Philadelphia Eagles to bring him north after the departure of Stefon Diggs.
Again, that’s easier said than done when it comes to winning in the NFL. “Any given Sunday” is a phrase for a reason. But it may be even more crucial for the Patriots to keep doing what they did in 2025 — New England goes 14-3 to tie for the best record in the conference — to quell the inevitable noise that will begin in training camp next month.
QUALITY SLEEP IS A MUST FOR GRONK
It was back in high school that Gronkowski realized how underrated quality sleep was for a budding athlete. He needed to take a nap before every basketball game he played after school, a habit that followed him throughout college and into his professional football career.
After all, someone like Gronkowski, an animal on and off the field, needs to be well-rested and recovered to keep it up all these years.
That’s why Gronkowski was excited to partner with Ryde, the functional wellness brand, and help spread the word about how great their new two-ounce SLEEP wellness deposit is for users who want to fall asleep faster at night while supporting sleep quality.
Ryde has launched its new SLEEP shot, designed to help users improve their sleep quality while waking up feeling refreshed for the day. Legendary NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski has partnered with the company to pitch the new product. (Ryder)
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“It just fits my lifestyle,” Gronkowski said. “It’s a very organic opportunity that aligns with my daily goals. It’s about being balanced. It’s also about the recovery, and that’s what this SLEEP shot does for me. You need to sleep if you want to recover, if you want to go hard all day, and you want to do it again the next day and the next day. You need to get your sleep into play, and that helps me sleep.”
Between the SLEEP and fan-favorite FOCUS shoots, Gronkowski is known to put natural ingredients into his body, stressing that he’s “all about natural.” SLEEP uses melatonin, GABA, L-theanine and chamomile to help users relax, and Gronkowski finds it perfect for his daily routine.
“This is the first time I’ve really talked about being a sleep advocate and I really believe in it,” he said. “I always took naps because I believe in sleep so much. If I get a full night’s sleep, I don’t really need to sleep as much. That’s where Ryde SLEEP comes in. I can sleep through a full night and be ready to go the next day.”
