Welker not bothered by Gronkowski extension

New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker is not bothered by the team signing tight end Rob Gronkowski to a six-year, $54 million extension, despite his battle to get his own long-term extension.

"I'm always pulling for the players, especially a guy like Gronk, who does such a great job for us and works hard," Welker said. "He deserves every bit of that contract."

Coming off of a strong season, in which he led the league in receptions with 122, Welker had hoped to land himself a nice long-term contract, but instead was slapped with the dreaded franchise tag. While being the franchise player at the wide receiver position comes with a $9.5 million payday, it is only a one-year deal.

At 31-years-old, Welker respects the fact that signing a 23-year-old, who led all tight ends in touchdowns and receiving yards, is probably a bigger priority for the team.

"Having him around for a while is a great deal for us and our organization," Welker said. "I'm very happy for him."

Welker has not been shy about his desire to get a multi-year deal, but the veteran still showed up to the Patriots' first mandatory minicamp, which began Tuesday. The two sides have until July 15 to come to terms on a contract extension.