Tom Brady: If Rob Gronkowski doesn't play, others will have to step up

In his first public comments since it was announced Rob Gronkowski would be suspended for a game for his late hit on Buffalo’s Tre’Davious White Sunday, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said New England is going to have to have “other guys” step up and raise their game against the Dolphins.

“We’ll try to put together the best (game) plan we can,” Brady told Jim Gray on Westwood One Radio Monday night. “We’ll see how well it goes. Other guys are going to have to step in and do that spot.  We’re going to have to do it well. It’s going to be a tough game anyway — we’re going to do the best we can do.”



Brady said football is an “emotional game,” and that played a role in Gronkowski’s decision.

“It’s an emotional game, and the emotions got the best of Rob. I’m disappointed that he won’t be out there with us on Monday night,” Brady said. “I think he is appealing it, but we will see how that goes. You know, I support Rob. I love Rob. He’s been such a great supporter of mine.  He knows I’m always here for him.”

In that same game, Brady was seen angrily barking at offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Gray asked Brady about Odell Beckham’s comments that compared and contrasted emotional sideline outbursts, and why some are seen as selfish and others are seen as the mark of a leader.

“It’s all in the moment,” explained Brady. “For me, it’s a game of emotion and sometimes emotions boil over and that’s sports. We are not going out there to be choir boys. Football is an emotional game.  There is a lot at stake. How people may view it? I don’t know, that’s for them to view. I don’t view those things like that. Personally, I just see them as emotional moments in a game.  The goal is to win the game and that’s what we ended up doing.”

In addition, Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald was also asked by Gray for his thoughts on Gronkowski's suspension. He said he didn't believe Gronkowski should be forced to sit for what happened.

"I don’t particularly like the suspension," he said. "I don’t like when the actions of one player affects his team. Taking him off the field for a complete game is going to really hurt the Patriots. I thought he definitely should have been fined heavily. Those kind of plays really don’t have a place in our game. I think the NFL has done a great job of emphasizing that over the last few years. I don’t agree with the one game suspension, though."