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Rob Gronkowski Fooled By Fox NFL Crew With Fake Segment

Rob Gronkowski is ready for just about anything the “Fox NFL Sunday” crew throws at him, even fake segments about fictional football players.

That’s what happened to the four-time Super Bowl champion on a previous workday, with the pregame team Sunday recapping how they fooled Gronkowski by talking about a nonexistent Cowboys tight end named Rich Russo.

“He thought we were going live with an extra segment. Everyone at Fox knows this isn’t real, except Gronk,” Fox NFL insider Jay Glazer explained. “The premise was I wanted to break the news that the Cowboys were activating this great Pro Bowl tight end that doesn’t exist and Gronk is on what he thinks is live TV to talk about this tight end.”

The “Fox NFL Sunday” crew fooled Rob Gronkowski with a fake segment featuring a fake player. Fox/X

The Fox crew, consisting of Gronkowski, Glazer, Terry Bradshaw, Michael Strahan, Howie Long and Curt Menefee, are then shown on set, with Strahan suggesting that they should discuss Russo next.

Glazer then talks about Russo’s activation, while Gronkowski — who played tight end for 11 seasons for the Patriots and Buccaneers — remains quiet as his co-hosts hype the phantom player.

“That’s big because Russo is a complete game-changer, takes so much pressure off (Cowboys quarterback) Dak (Prescott), takes so much pressure off the run game, great blocker, great receiver,” Strahan said as Gronkowski shared the information takes in .

Menefee then puts Gronkowski on the spot, asking where he ranks a player of Russo’s caliber among the league’s tight ends.

A fictional player named Rich Russo was at the center of the segment. Fox/X
Rob Gronkowski was shocked when he heard the TV joke. Fox/X

‘Um, he’s been out for a while, so he might be a little rusty when he comes back, but I think they’re going to give him the opportunities, that’s for sure, but they also have (tight Jake) Ferguson, so it will be a 1-2 combo,” he said.

While Gronkowski praised Ferguson, Brashaw turned the conversation back to Russo.

“He’s the only guy in the league missing two fingers on his right hand, that’s why he’s been out and now he’s back,” the Steelers big said, with Gronkowski interjecting, “Will that affect him when he comes back? catch a pass?”

Rob Gronkowski’s co-hosts completely lost it when they revealed the segment was a joke. Fox/X
The four-time Super Bowl champion played tight end for the Patriots and Buccaneers for 11 seasons. Getty Images

Gronkowski kept the conversation going as his colleagues dropped their poker faces and burst out laughing when Menefee revealed the ruse.

“Wow! I was wondering,” said a clearly shaken Gronkowski. “Right when it was done, I wanted to say, ‘Guys, I’ve never heard of Rich Russo in my life.'”

Gronkowski said on Sunday’s show how the crew’s “head was spinning,” and that he learned two things from the ordeal.

“That I’m a funny guy and number two, that I’m always ready,” he joked.

Gronkowski initially joined Fox Sports in 2019 after his first NFL retirement.

He reteamed with the network in 2022 after calling it a career following the 2021 season.