Nearly a decade later, the Deflategate scandal still isn't sitting well with a pair of New England Patriots greats.
Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman still have a gripe with the Indianapolis Colts for sparking the Deflategate controversy during the 2014-15 NFL season. Gronk believes it all started during their 2014 regular-season matchup between the AFC rivals, in which running back Jonas Gray rushed for 201 yards and four touchdowns en route to a 42-20 Patriots win.
"This game, I swear, led to the Deflategate," Gronkowski said on Edelman's Games With Names podcast. "I absolutely hate the Colts, bro. They needed to find some B.S. answer of why they kept losing to us every single year. And they weren't just losing to us. We were absolutely pounding that ass. I don't like them."
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
The Patriots blew out the Colts 45-7 two months later in the 2014 AFC Championship Game. The Deflategate saga began after Colts linebacker D'Qwell Jackson intercepted one of Tom Brady's passes in the first half, and Indianapolis accused New England of under-inflating footballs to gain a competitive advantage. Brady was ultimately given a four-game suspension while the organization was fined $1 million and docked two 2016 draft picks.
MORE PATRIOTS
"Hey guys, this ball's a little flat," Edelman said in a mocking voice.
"Are you kidding me?" Gronkowski added. "We ran the ball for 300 yards."
Watch the clip below:
Brady, Gronk, Edelman and the Pats ultimately had the last laugh. After demolishing the Colts in the 2014 AFC Championship, they defeated the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.
Despite Brady's four-game suspension to begin the 2016 season, New England went on to earn one of the greatest Super Bowl victories in NFL history: the historic 28-3 comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons.