The next stop in Rob Gronkowski’s football career won’t be Super Bowl LIV in Miami, it’ll be Canton.
On Sunday night, the star Patriots tight end announced he would be retiring from the NFL following nine seasons in the league, ending a career that will surely make the 29-year-old a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
A three-time Super Bowl champion, Gronkowski spent his entire career with New England and ends his tenure with 521 catches for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns in 115 games. His 79 touchdowns are the most in franchise history.
Following Gronkowski’s announcement, the tributes rolling in on social media – including one from the guy who tossed him those 79 TDs.
“In the nine years that I have known Rob Gronkowski, I have never known him to have a bad day,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement. “He always has a youthful exuberance about him and is a joy to be around.”
Many in the organization thought Gronkowski would be returning to the field, but it appears back, knee, ankle and arm injuries that have dogged him in recent years and limited his ability to stay on the field finally took their toll.
Gronkowski will also surely have a second career in entertainment as Gronk the character has always been as popular as Gronk the football player has been dominant.
His coach, Bill Belichick, is a man of few words but even he felt compelled to speak out on the star’s retirement.
“It was a pleasure and a privilege to coach Rob Gronkowski for the past nine years,” Belichick said in a statement. “From his rookie year until his final season and through countless times in between, Rob was a major reason why we won games and championships. His elite combination of size, skill, intelligence, toughness, and ability to perform in pressure situations set him apart.”
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