The Facts: Gronkowski always has marveled at how well Tom Brady, who turns 40 Thursday, has persevered. So 12 weeks ago, still feeling a little rough and ragged, Gronk took some advice from the five-time Super Bowl winner. Hoping to extend his NFL shelf life, the all-world tight end agreed to commit to working with Brady's body coach and business partner, Alex Guerrero, who runs TB12 Sports Therapy Center at Patriot Place. "Just looking at Tom, seeing what he does every day, what he eats, talking to him, personally one-on-one, just learning about the body with him, just seeing how flexible he is, how pliable he is, how loose he is all the time, every day and ready to go, I just felt like it was the time in my career where I needed to devote myself at all levels," Gronkowski said.

Diehards Line: Gronkowski stressed this is an add-on to what he does at the stadium, and the objective is very clear. He wants to find a better way to avoid injury and stay on the field. With his NFL clock ticking, he doesn’t want that time spent on the sidelines. The result of the program -- which includes lots of band resistance work to help stabilize his core, deep-tissue massage to help with blood flow, and a better diet -- and working at TB12 four days a week is a body that’s more pliable, according to Gronk. “I haven’t lost a single pound. But my body is working more efficiently. Everyone thinks I’m skinnier,” Gronk said with a smile. “I feel looser. I feel my mobility has increased a lot. I feel way more pliable.”