Rob Gronkowski dismisses Friday trade report as 'fake news'

Speaking with reporters on Saturday at his football camp Saturday before flying to New York to watch his namesake run in the Belmont Stakes, Rob Gronkowski called the trade rumors that swirled around him Friday “fake news,” and added he sees that sort of thing all the time.

“Shows how much fake news is out there,” he said when asked about the reports of a possible trade that arose Friday. “Hashtag ‘Fake News.’ That’s all I know. It’s true. It exists. I see it all the time about me. It’s wild.”

He also said he hadn’t “made a decision” on whether or not he’ll attend next week’s voluntary workouts, the final phase of the offseason conditioning program for the Patriots. He and quarterback Tom Brady have been absent from the voluntary sessions this spring, opting to only show for the mandatory workouts this past week.

He did say he had fun this past week at the three-day minicamp with the rest of his teammates.

“Just had a great minicamp,” he said. “A great time being back with the boys.”

As for the reports wide receiver Julian Edelman is facing a four-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on PEDs, Gronkowski offered support for his teammate.

“He’s a great dude and a great teammate. I just can’t speak on his behalf on his situation. A great guy to have around,” he said. “A great dude. A great player.”