Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski revealed his preferred candidates for the team's head coaching vacancy while speaking exclusively to iHeartMedia this week on behalf of Bounty Paper Towels' Wingman campaign.

Gronkowski, who won three of his four Super Bowls in New England, said former Patriots linebacker and Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel and Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson were his top two choices for the vacancy, reaffirming his faith in team owner Robert Kraft doing his "diligence" during the hiring process.

"I feel like the top two candidates are Ben Johnson and Mike Vrabel," Gronkowski said. "Either or, if they can get one of those two I feel like would make Patriots fans very happy."

Vrabel spent eight of the 14 years of his NFL playing career with the Patriots, which included winning three Super Bowls.

"I feel like Vrabel is one of the guys that fits the mold of what Mr. Kraft is looking for. He's been a Patriot for life, he understands how it works," Gronkowski said of Vrabel.

The four-time Super Bowl champion said he believed Johnson also fit the mold of what Kraft was looking for and could help the development of quarterback Drake Maye, who was selected by the Patriots at No. 3 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft last April.

"He's been doing such a great job there and to come into a situation and to develop Drake Maye would be an ideal situation for a new head coach and that's what makes this so intriguing here is that they've got $134 million in salary cap with the Patriots and on top of it they've got a young buck on a rookie contract in Drake Maye."

Johnson's Lions offense ranked first among NFL teams in scoring (33.2 points per game) and second in total offense (409.5 yards per game) during the 2024 season.

Gronkowski and former Super Bowl champion quarterback Drew Brees appeared on behalf of the Bounty Paper Towels' Wingman campaign promoting their paper towels as the essential 'wingman' for football fans, anticipating record-breaking chicken wing consumption during Super Bowl LIX.

Bob Lonsberry