Topline
Four-time Super Bowl champion tight end Rob Gronkowski will retire from the NFL, he announced in a tweet Tuesday afternoon, capping his football career after more than a decade, including two seasons—and one Super Bowl—since he came out of a short-lived earlier retirement to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement from the NFL in a tweet Tuesday afternoon. (Photo by Mike … [+]
Key Facts
Gronkowski’s announcement that he is “walking away from football again” with his “head held high” comes three months after Tom Brady—Gronkowski’s quarterback for nine seasons in New England and two in Tampa—announced he will come out of his second retirement to rejoin the Buccaneers this fall.
Just like Brady, Gronkowski made no mention in his announcement of his nine seasons or three Super Bowl rings with the Patriots, sending his thanks instead to “the whole entire first class Buccaneers organization” for an “amazing ride.”
Gronkowski, 33, previously retired in 2019 after battling a series of injuries, but announced a year later he would join Brady in Tampa.
Brady praised Gronkowski in an Instagram post Tuesday afternoon, writing “nobody has ever embodied the idea of ‘leaving it all out on the field’ like Rob has throughout his entire career.”
What We Don’t Know
In reaction to the news, Gronkowski’s agent Drew Rosenhaus told ESPN’s Adam Schefter the tight end’s career might not be over for good: “It would not surprise me if Tom Brady calls him during the season to come back and Rob answers the call.”
Key Background
Gronkowski came into the league with the Patriots in 2010 as the overall 42nd draft pick, after three years of college football at the University of Arizona. He set a career-high touchdown count in his second season in New England, with 17. He was part of three Super Bowl victories in New England—in 2015, 2017 and 2019—and one in Tampa Bay last year. A five-time Pro Bowler, Gronkowski holds the all-time record for postseason touchdowns (15), above Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, and is third in total touchdowns by a tight end, with 92, behind Antonio Gates (116) and Tony Gonzalez (111).
What To Watch For
Whether Gronk will land a TV deal. Brady signed a $375 million, 10-year contract to be Fox Sports’ lead NFL analyst, surpassing the $333 million he made in his 22-year NFL career—and Brady isn’t done playing yet. Brady came out of retirement in March, restructuring a $9 million contract with the Bucs.
Further Reading
Tom Brady Lands Record-Breaking Deal To Join Fox Sports As Lead NFL Analyst After Playing Career (Forbes)
Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski Retires (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2022/06/21/rob-gronkowski-retires-from-the-nfl-again/