New England Patriots

Cranky Bill Belichick in midseason form dealing with media questions

Published Jun. 7, 2016 11:02 p.m. ET

foxsports

It's only the offseason, and Bill Belichick already is at his grumpy best.

The New England Patriots coach was in midseason form in grumbling short answers to questions about Rob Gronkowski and other topics Tuesday.

Belichick might've been out of sorts because Gronk was among 13 Pats who didn't participate in Tuesday's practice at mandatory minicamp. However, the star tight end was present; he's reportedly nursing an injury and being handled carefully. But Belichick's response was typically evasive.

It was a nice return to cantankerous coaching, after a brief lull following Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs being ousted from the NBA playoffs.