Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was on the receiving end of a brutal shot to the chest from Seahawks safety Earl Thomas on Sunday. Both men got up and kept playing, and both men gained respect for each other afterward.
Amid reports that Gronkowski suffered a punctured lung on the play (reports that have since been disputed), Thomas wrote on Twitter that he admires the toughness of Gronkowski for taking that shot.
“Nothing but respect for Gronk. One of the best I’ve lined up against. Hoping to see him back on the field sooner than later,” Thomas wrote.
Gronkowski saw that tweet and said he also admires Thomas as a great competitor.
“The respect is mutual man, you got the best of me on that one. The grind is real, you showed the fans a real football hit,” Gronk wrote.
The respect is mutual man, you got the best of me on that one. The grind is real, you showed the fans a real football hit. https://t.co/p57PLVQZ3C
— Rob Gronkowski (@RobGronkowski) November 16, 2016
On the field and off, Thomas and Gronkowski showed fans the best of the NFL.
