The NFL on FOX team pulled a fast one on former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, tricking him into believing they were going live with an extra segment.

Jay Glazer masterminded the prank, fooling Gronk into thinking that the Dallas Cowboys were about to bring a non-existent Pro Bowl tight end into play, leaving the retired NFL star to comment on phantom prospect ‘Rich Russo’.

Gronkowski was with his usual crew of Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Michael Strahan, and others when the show’s producers started speaking in their earpieces as if they were about to go live. The segment kicked off with a preview of the showdown between the Cowboys and Buffalo Bills, dubbed America’s Game of the Week.

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Menefee launched the segment in his typical style before handing it over to Glazer who announced that they had breaking news. With his characteristic assured delivery, the NFL analyst stated that Russo would play a significant role in the Dallas game plan, setting the stage for the joke perfectly.

Strahan joined in, lending credibility to the situation by detailing Russo’s made-up qualities, stating he’s a skilled route runner, pass catcher, and blocker. Cameras captured a visibly uncertain Gronkowski, but he played along, nodding as if he were well-acquainted with Russo.

The ball was finally passed to Gronk for his opinion on Russo and his game. “He’s been out for a bit, so he might be a little rusty coming back, but I think they’ll give him the opportunity. That’s for sure,” he confidently stated as Strahan and the crew began to grin.

“They have Ferguson as well, so they’re gonna be a well-oiled 1-2 combo,” he continued. Glazer kept the joke alive by removing Ferguson from the equation and suggesting that Russo had transformed the team’s offense.

“Ferguson has been showing that he is the guy right now,” Gronk commented. Terry Bradshaw then pointed out that Russo was the only player in the NFL with two missing fingers on his right hand, leading Gronk to question, “Is that going to affect him when he’s catching a pass? I don’t know.”

“I still have all five of my fingers,” he said, looking down and realizing his error. The crew burst into laughter at his complete disregard for his other hand and a total of ten fingers.

Glazer then revealed to Gronk that the entire segment was a prank and that Russo doesn’t even play for the team. He looked shocked before admitting, “I was wondering. Right when I was done I was going to say ‘Guys, I never heard of that player in my life’.”

The GRONK’D logo flashed across the screen, with the crew in stitches, laughing that they had managed to prank their resident joker. Gronkowski is known for his history of pranking his NFL teammates, especially Tom Brady.

Gronk had earlier revealed a prank where he tricked the seven-time Super Bowl winner into wetting the bed. “There was April Fool’s Day, and I pulled a trick on him,” he said. “I put his hand in the water while he was sleeping, and it made him pee in the bed. “.