Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman never pass up a chance to reminisce and talk about their good old Patriots days under Bill Belichick. Whether it’s dissecting NFL news with a little Patriots spin or mimicking the legendary coach’s dry sarcasm, their Dudes on Dudes podcast has become part football analysis, part comedy show.
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But this week, their impersonation came with a twist — aimed squarely at Giants rookie Abdul Carter. For those out of the loop, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft recently made headlines when he requested permission to wear Lawrence Taylor’s iconic No. 56. Yes, the same 56 that’s long been unofficially retired by the New York Giants in honor of one of the most feared defensive players in NFL history.
Naturally, LT declined the request in an emphatic manner — and naturally, Gronk had thoughts.
“Yeah, they got Abdul Carter, you know, I think with the third pick in the draft — he’s gonna be a star. But was he serious? Asking for LT’s number?” Rob Gronkowski asked.
“Yeah, you’re a high draft pick… but LT is an absolute legend. The best to ever do it. One of the best defenders of all time,” he added.
Then came the moment fans of the show were waiting for — the legendary Patriots TE launching into his signature Bill Belichick impersonation. Dropping his voice into a gravelly baritone with a Brooklyn accent and slowing his cadence, Gronkowski delivered what he imagined Belichick would say if one of his rookies dared to make a similar request:
“Nope. Yeah. Nobody. Yeah, there’s one LT, and you’re not LT. You’re not even close to being LT. So how about you just get the f*** out of my office and get in your playbook, because you haven’t done s*** yet. And now you get number 62 — for just being an a**hole.”
Co-host Julian Edelman erupted in laughter, but the sentiment wasn’t just for comedy. Gronkowski and Edelman — both veterans of Belichick’s famously disciplined system knew the message was rooted in reality: legacy numbers aren’t given, they’re earned.
Edelman hence echoed the sentiment, laughing at how on-brand the rejection was. “LT did the LT move, man,” he laughingly told Gronkowski. “That was such an LT response — ‘Go make your own freaking number, kid.’”
Holy Sh*t: Rob Gronkowski goes OFF on Abdul Carter for asking Lawrence Taylor to wear his retired No. 56 jersey number:
“Was he serious, asking for LT’s number? Yeah, you were a high draft pick, but LT is an absolute legend. The best to do it, one of the best defenders of all… pic.twitter.com/2ZKJ6CZYEK
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) May 4, 2025
While the segment was full of laughs, the takeaway was serious: respect the greats — and earn your legacy before trying to borrow theirs.
And for Abdul Carter, that moment may already be doing its job. After the denial, the rookie posted on X: “This just gonna make me work even harder!! I love it.” That’s probably the exact kind of response LT — and yes, Belichick — would want to see.
