Rob Gronkowski: Eagles Gave Teams a Blueprint to Beat the Chiefs

Rob Gronkowski said the Philadelphia Eagles provided NFL teams a blueprint for beating the Kansas City Chiefs, arguing that an aggressive early approach can unsettle the reigning contenders.

Gronkowski, a four-time Super Bowl champion, made the comments on SiriusXM’s “Up & Adams” after the Chiefs lost to the Los Angeles Chargers 27-21 in São Paulo to open the 2025 season. Kansas City also fell to Philadelphia in Super Bowl LIX in February, a 40-22 defeat that Gronkowski said showed opponents a viable tactic for disrupting the Chiefs’ usual dominance.

“The Philadelphia Eagles opened that floodgate of, ‘Hey, if you punch these guys in the face, you take it to them, you come out swinging, they’re gonna fold and they’re not gonna be the team you were seeing all last year,’” Gronkowski said, according to Fox News. He pointed to the Super Bowl loss and the Chargers’ performance, led by Justin Herbert, as evidence teams can succeed by applying early pressure and physicality.

Gronkowski also cited visible discord on the Chiefs’ sideline as a concern. During the Chargers game, cameras captured defensive lineman Chris Jones in a heated exchange with teammate Drue Tranquill during a timeout. “When things aren’t going their way, as you can see, when they start struggling a little bit, they start yelling at each other,” Gronkowski said. “The blame game starts going on. You can see it on the sidelines. And that’s not a good situation. You want to come together when you’re down, when things aren’t going your way. To see them starting to point fingers is not a good sign.”

Kansas City has a chance to respond quickly. The Chiefs will host the Eagles in their home opener at Arrowhead Stadium in what Fox is billing as “America’s Game of the Week,” a Super Bowl LIX rematch that is scheduled for Sunday. Philadelphia opened its 2025 campaign with a 24-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys, with Jalen Hurts rushing for two touchdowns and Saquon Barkley adding a score.

Chiefs players and coaches have acknowledged the need to regroup following back-to-back high-profile defeats. Kansas City’s offense, led by Patrick Mahomes, remains among the league’s most potent, but opponents have targeted early pressure and physical matchups as a way to slow the unit.

Gronkowski’s assessment adds to a wider conversation about whether the Chiefs remain the team they were during their recent Super Bowl runs. Analysts and former players have pointed to game planning and in-game adjustments as key components for teams seeking to counter Kansas City’s strengths. The upcoming rematch at Arrowhead will provide the first direct test of whether the Eagles’ Super Bowl approach can be replicated successfully by others or if the Chiefs will respond with their own adjustments.

Gronkowski’s comments were reported by Fox News Sports’ Scott Thompson.