Rob Gronkowski first retired from the NFL in 2019 as a member of the New England Patriots.
The long run Corridor of Fame tight finish retired once more in 2022 as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
And despite the fact that he hasn’t performed within the league since then, it seems that Gronk will retire yet one more time, once more as a member of the Patriots.
The concept of Gronkowski signing a ceremonial one-day contract with the crew that he helped win three Tremendous Bowls was floated publicly Tuesday by Susan Hurley, the founder and president of the CharityTeams fundraising agency for nonprofits.
Hurley was talking at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly constructed “Gronk Playground” on the Charles River Esplanade in Boston when she threw in a private plea towards Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft, who was sitting behind Hurley subsequent to Gronkowski.
“Can we simply make it official and signal [Gronkowski] for a day so he can retire as a Patriot?” Hurley requested earlier than trying in Kraft’s route and including, “What do you say?”
Gronkowski applauded and nodded whereas trying in Kraft’s route. The proprietor, who was off digital camera on the time, apparently gave his approval, as Gronkowski later confirmed to reporters.
“[Kraft] gave her a thumbs up, so we’re going to make it occur sooner or later and it’s gonna be a particular second,” the five-time Professional Bowl choice mentioned. “Come again for a day, a weekend, no matter it’s. So we’ll make it occur and it will likely be a very, actually cool second. It’s gonna occur, we simply don’t know when.”
The Patriots haven’t introduced such a transfer and didn’t reply instantly on Thursday to The Occasions’ request to remark. On Wednesday, a considerably much less official announcement got here on the Instagram account of the “Dudes on Dudes” podcast hosted by Gronkowski and former Patriots teammate Julian Edelmen.
“Gronk will signal a at some point contract and retire a New England Patriot,” learn the put up that was accompanied by a video that featured Gronkowski talking on the podcast about being drafted by the Patriots. The video doesn’t point out something about him signing a one-day contract with the crew, but it surely does function a graphic that reads: “Breaking — Gronk will retire a New England Patriot.”
New England chosen Gronkowski within the second spherical of the 2010 draft. He grew to become a key and beloved member of the crew’s dynasty below coach Invoice Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. After Brady left for Tampa Bay earlier than the 2020 season, Gronkowski got here out of retirement to hitch him and ended up profitable his fourth profession Tremendous Bowl that 12 months.
