AFC Notes: Bills, Rob Gronkowski, Jets, Patriots, Bill O’Brien

Bills

Former Patriots and Buccaneers TE Rob Gronkowski is from Amherst, New York, and recently admitted that he was in talks with the Bills to play with them during the 2022 season.

“I’m kind of a Buffalo Bills fan now, again,” Gronkowski said, via PatriotsWire.com. “Now that I’m not playing anymore I’m like, ‘Dang.’ And I thought about it—how cool that would be to play for the Buffalo Bills. I actually thought about it when Tom [Brady] retired this year. I was like, ‘Alright.’ I didn’t really feel like playing football after this year, and I was like, ‘Ahh, Tom retired.’ I was like, ‘I’m gonna check out some other teams.’ So I was actually in talks with the Buffalo Bills a little bit. They wanted me to come up there. It just wasn’t there, though. If my mindset was there, I would probably most likely be in Buffalo right now playing with the Bills.”

Jets

• ESPN’s Rich Cimini mentions that although the Jets are interviewing Broncos QB coach Klint Kubiak for their offensive coordinator vacancy, that does not mean a father-son pairing with Gary Kubiak as a senior assistant is in the works.
• The elder Kubiak had been speculated as an option for New York which wants to add a more experienced voice to the offensive coaching staff. 

Patriots

• ESPN’s Mike Reiss notes one potential complication to Alabama OC Bill O’Brien taking the Patriots offensive coordinator job is if he is an option for the Cardinals for their head coaching vacancy. Arizona just hired Monti Ossenfort as GM and O’Brien tried to bring Ossenfort to Houston before being blocked by New England. 
• In addition, Reiss mentions Patriots HC Bill Belichick would probably like some assurances O’Brien won’t just be a one-year option at offensive coordinator. 
• Reiss hasn’t heard anything to suggest the Patriots are moving assistant Joe Judge back to special teams. He was the QB coach this past season but is unlikely to continue in that role. 
• Patriots S Devin McCourty says he hasn’t decided if he’s retiring yet. The 35-year-old just finished his 13th season and is set to be a free agent: “I’m not 100 percent sure either way. I know I want to take my time. You do something for 13 years, I don’t want to rush to make a decision.” (Peter King)