Gronk to Earl Thomas on Twitter bromance: 'You got the best of me on that one'

Call us suckers, but we love a good Twitter bromance. Oh, sure, it’s fun when opposing players spar on there, too; we’re not above liking that. But there’s something about two tremendous competitors going at on the field and then showing their mutual respect to the world.

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski went over the middle Sunday night, as he so often does in games, to catch what would have been at least a 20-yard pass from Tom Brady with the Patriots down 12-7 in the second quarter. The throw was perfect, but the coverage was excellent — and Seattle Seahawks safeties Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas made sure the pass would not be caught.

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And check the hit in the video above — Thomas walloped Gronk. Here was the immediate aftermath, with the 6-5, 265-pound Gronk looking up to see who hit him. It was the 5-10, 202-pound Thomas, who laid the hammer and made sure the ball wouldn’t be caught.

On the play, Gronk reportedly suffered a punctured lung that could keep him out a week or so (although that report has since been disputed). Still, it was a good, clean hit by Thomas and a completely legal play.

Thomas went on Twitter to profess his respect for Gronkowski, who continued to play through the injury.

And Gronk came right back with his own dose of love.

Yes, sir, the grind is real, bro. And the NFL quietly has to love this. Not only are two star players keeping it clean and respectful on social media, but now the league has a textbook hit it can add to its ever-shrinking “what is a legal hit?” video file to share with referees, coaching clinics and a fan base that is confused about what can be penalized and what can’t.

Basically, everyone wins. Well, yes, Gronk did get hurt on the play, but you know what we mean.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!

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