The Patriots apparently are giving tight end Rob Gronkowski a few million reasons to dance with his shirt off.
A league source tells PFT that the Patriots and Gronkowski have reached agreement on a contract that would replace the final two seasons of his rookie deal. A second-round pick in 2010, Gronkowski is due to earn $540,000 in 2012 and $575,000 in 2013.
His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, denies that a deal has been reached.
Gronkowski, who slid to round two due to a back injury that wiped out his final season at Arizona, set single-season records for tight ends with 1,327 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns. He added an 18th touchdown on a two-yard run.
As a rookie, Gronkowski scored 10 touchdowns and generated 546 receiving yards.
He continues to recover from a badly-sprained ankle suffered during the AFC title game. Though Gronkowski was able to play in the Super Bowl, he has surgery within a week after the game.
Terms of the agreement aren’t known. Under the pre-2011 CBA, rookie deals may be renegotiated after two years. As of 2011, rookie contracts cannot be re-done until the player has three years of service.