Rob Gronkowski is prepared for absolutely anything the “Fox NFL Sunday” crew throws his way, even fake segments about fictional football players.
That’s what happened to the four-time Super Bowl champ during a previous day on the job, with the pregame team recapping Sunday how they pranked Gronkowski into discussing a non-existent Cowboys tight end named Wealthy Russo.
“He thought we were going live with an additional segment. Everybody at Fox knows this will not be real — aside from Gronk,” Fox NFL insider Jay Glazer explained. “The premise was, I used to be going to ‘break news’ that the Cowboys were activating this great Pro Bowl tight end who doesn’t exist and Gronk has to go on what he thinks is live TV to discuss this tight end.”
The Fox crew, comprised of Gronkowski, Glazer, Terry Bradshaw, Michael Strahan, Howie Long and Curt Menefee, are next shown on set, with Strahan suggesting they need to discuss Russo next.
Glazer then opens up about Russo’s activation while Gronkowski — who played tight end for the Patriots and Buccaneers across 11 seasons — stays quiet as his co-hosts hype the phantom player.
“That’s big because Russo is a whole game-changer, takes a lot pressure off [Cowboys quarterback] Dak [Prescott], takes a lot pressure off the run game, great blocker, great receiver,” Strahan gushes as Gronkowski takes within the intel.
Menefee then puts Gronkowski on the spot, asking where he ranks a player of Russo’s caliber among the many league’s tight ends.
“Uh, he’s been out for a little bit bit so he could be a little bit rusty coming back, but I believe they’re going to offer him the opportunities, that’s needless to say, but additionally they got [tight end Jake] Ferguson as well in order that they’re going to be a 1-2 combo,” he said.
As Gronkowski lauded Ferguson, Brashaw turned the conversation back to Russo.
“He’s the one guy within the league that has two fingers missing on his right hand, that’s why he’s been out, and he’s back now,” the Steelers great said, to which Gronkowski interjected, “So is that going to affect him when he’s catching a pass?”
Gronkowski kept the conversation going as his colleagues dropped their poker faces, erupting into laughter as Menefee revealed the ruse.
“Whoa! I used to be wondering,” a clearly shocked Gronkowski said. “I used to be going to say, right when it was done, ‘Guys, I’ve never heard of Wealthy Russo in my life.’”
Gronkowski said on Sunday’s show how the crew had his “head spinning,” and that he’s learned two things from the ordeal.
“That I’m a funny guy and number two, that I’m at all times ready,” he quipped.
Gronkowski initially joined Fox Sports in 2019 following his first NFL retirement.
He teamed up with the network again in 2022 after calling it a profession following the 2021 season.
