A couple of former New England Patriots will face off in Arizona's spring game.
According to the Arizona Daily Star, new Arizona coach Jedd Fisch told donors Monday that Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski will coach one of the teams in the spring game against former Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi. Both players played at Arizona and are two of the most successful NFL players from the school.
The March 23 spring game will be the first time Gronkowski has been at Arizona since after his rookie season in 2011. And it comes less than two months after Gronk and the Bucs beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. We're going to go out on a limb and think that there are a ton of Arizona players who would love to play for the fun-loving Gronk during the spring game and there could be a play title that starts with the numbers six and nine.
The move to have Gronk on the sidelines during the spring game is a savvy one by Fisch for a program that could use a lot of positive attention. Fisch - an assistant with the Patriots in 2020 - was hired in December to replace the fired Kevin Sumlin. Arizona was 9-20 in Sumlin's three-year tenure and he was dismissed following an embarrassing 70-7 loss to in-state rival Arizona State.
Video: Simms: Brady doesn't need practice in April, May (NBC Sports)
Fisch's hire came with the blessing of Bruschi. The former ESPN analyst is now serving in an advisory role on Fisch's staff. Bruschi's hire was announced in February as the school said he'd serve as a consultant and work in various capacities like alumni relations and fundraising.
Gronkowski, meanwhile, has said that he wants to return to the Buccaneers in 2021. He was traded to Tampa Bay after spending the 2019 season in retirement following Brady's arrival in Florida.
© Provided by Yahoo! SportsRob Gronkowski had fun during the Bucs' Super Bowl party. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
More from Yahoo Sports: