Rob Gronkowski will forever go down as one of the greatest players in New England Patriots history, without question.

And by now, many are familiar with how the future Hall of Fame tight end feigned retirement in order to avoid being traded to the Detroit Lions back in 2018.

Rob Gronkowski Could Have Easily Been A Baltimore Raven

Yet, per Gronkowski himself, had a certain number of events not gone into place, there is a very real chance that Gronk would not have ended up New England at all, according to his recent comments on the Dudes on Dudes podcast with his former teammate, Julian Edelman.

Rob Gronkowski reveals that the #Ravens were going to pick him before Bill Belichick and the #Patriots traded up one slot ahead of them.

There’s also the matter of Josh McDaniels and Tim Tebow. 👀

(via @DudesOnDudesPod) pic.twitter.com/B77XufkDJd

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 7, 2025

Speaking to Edelman, Gronk reveals how the Patriots ended up trading up to just the right spot to ensure they kept the 4 x All-Pro away from AFC rivals, the Baltimore Ravens.

“The Baltimore Ravens were gonna pick me; I think it was around the 25th pick that they had in the [2010] draft,” Gronkowski said on the latest episode of the podcast, “And I’m not 100% accurate, but I’ve heard through the grapevine that they were going to grab me with the 25th pick.”

“But then Denver and Josh McDaniels came scooping in and traded with the Baltimore Ravens at the 25th pick, which put the Ravens at the 43rd pick…So I just got booted out of the first round..[The Ravens] felt like ‘Hey, we were the only ones gonna draft him in the first round, we could possibly get him in the second’…And the Patriots got a sniff of it and they traded up one spot before the Baltimore Ravens at #42 where I got drafted.”

The Patriots Had A Backup Option In Mind If They Failed To Get Gronk In 2010

According to the former 5 x All-Pro on the same podcast, New England were also gearing up to make a trade with the Chicago Bears to bring in All-Pro tight end, Greg Olsen, who was ultimately traded the following year, in 2011, to the Carolina Panthers for a third round pick, had they failed to acquire Gronkowski.

At this point it feels like Gronk’s entire career and roadmap has been guided by some hand of fate, considering the Patriots were still willing to make a trade up for him despite falling asleep during his pre-draft visit.

And the Ravens would not have been a terrible destination for the Arizona alum, who won the Super Bowl back in 2013, but it is unlikely that the legend of Gronk would have been created with a relationship forged with quarterback, Joe Flacco instead of GOAT, Tom Brady.

Some things are just meant to be, it would seem.