NFL legendary tight end Rob Gronkowski was the subject of a “FOX NFL Sunday” prank that left him flabbergasted in a hilarious scene.
Whenever it comes to breaking down tight ends, the star-studded crew is going to turn to Gronkowski, the four-time Super Bowl champion who should be wearing a gold jacket one day after being one of the best tight ends in NFL history.
But his Fox colleagues decided to pull a fast one on him during a fake segment that everyone but “Gronk” knew wasn’t real.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Rob Gronkowski (Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
“He thought we were going live with an extra segment,” Fox NFL Insider Jay Glazer said in a clip recap of the prank. “… The premise was, I was going to ‘break news’ that the Cowboys were activating this great Pro Bowl tight end who doesn’t exist and Gronkowski has to go on what he thinks is live TV to talk about this tight end.”
Gronkowski’s colleague, Hall of Famer Michael Strahan, suggested in the next clip that the team should talk about Russo. Thus, the prank begins.
Glazer then started to talk about Russo being activated by the Dallas Cowboys, but Gronkowski was being very quiet as the fake player was being discussed. Then Strahan stepped in.
ROB GRONKOWSKI ON WHETHER HE WOULD HAVE WORN GUARDIAN CAP DURING HIS PLAYING DAYS
“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.
After that explanation, host Kurt Menefee looked to Gronkowski for his input on Russo, and despite being confused, he simply winged it.
“Uh, he’s been out for a little bit so he might be a little rusty coming back, but I think they’re going to give him the opportunities, that’s for sure, but also they got [Jake] Ferguson as well, so they’re going to be a 1-2 combo,” Gronkowski said.
Gronkowski tried to shift the conversation to Ferguson, the actual starting tight end of the Cowboys. However, another Hall of Famer in Terry Bradshaw went right back to Russo, and that’s when things got really wacky.
Rob Gronkowski (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
“He’s the only guy in the league that has two fingers missing on his right hand, that’s why he’s been out, and he’s back now,” Bradshaw said.
“So, is that going to affect him when he’s catching a pass?” Gronkowski questioned Bradshaw.
The crew was trying their hardest to keep the bit going, but after they couldn’t hold a straight face any longer, Menefee let Gronkowski in.
“Whoa! I was wondering,” Gronkowski said in a shocked manner. “I was going to say right when it was done, ‘Guys, I’ve never heard of Rich Russo in my life.’”
When the show was actually live this Sunday, Gronkowski let his team know that they had his “head spinning” as he tried to figure out how to seem knowledgeable about Russo.
Rob Gronkowski (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
But if there’s anything Gronkowski learned about that moment, it was “that I am always ready.”
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
