For the second time, Rob Gronkowski leaves.
The five-time Pro Bowl and four-time All-Pro tight end known for both his great personality and his ability on the football field announced his retirement from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In college, I was asked to write about a dream job opportunity that I wanted to pursue and where the location would be. Every time I had to write about my future, whatever it was, I chose to be a professional football player. For this task, however, we had to choose the location. So I wrote that I wanted to play in Tampa with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for many reasons, the sunny weather was number 1. I completely forgot to write this report until 2 years ago when I had the opportunity to join me at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And let me tell you – it was a trip to Tampa for the last 2 years. And for that, I want to thank the entire first-class Buccaneers organization for an amazing trip, trusting me to play again and help build a championship team. I will now return to my retirement home, leaving football again with my head held high knowing that I was giving him everything I had, good or bad, every time I went out on the field. The friendships and relationships I have made will last forever, and I thank all my teammates and coaches for giving everything they had. Since retirement, we’ve been back to football and winning another championship and now we’re back to relaxing, thank you all. Fans of the Buccaneers 🏴☠️, the Krewe, without you, none of this is possible, you have brought all the matches, thank you for everything you do. Cheers for the coming, maybe sailing the seas 🏴☠️ Arghhhhhh !!
While he doesn’t top the career list in any statistical category, it can be argued that no closed end in football history affected the game more than he did. Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez revolutionized the tight end game as elite offensive weapons. Gronkowski took the position to a new level as he prepared the stage for players like Travis Kelce and George Kittle behind him.
The story goes on
Rob Gronkowski’s second NFL act comes after a two-season run with the Bucs. (Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports)
Gronk’s legacy was intertwined with Tom Brady’s
An athlete of 6-6 and 270 pounds with elite hands and ability to play, Gronkowski was a nightmare of confrontation that went through high school. Good luck if you were a collaborator in charge of covering the man or a 205 pound security in hopes of overtaking him for a jump ball.
When there were no highlights, Gronkowski’s work was blocking. He was also very good at it.
More than anything, Gronkowski’s enduring legacy is that of Tom Brady’s main goal. Brady is the most accomplished quarterback in NFL history, and made most of his hits in New England without the services of an elite wide receiver, except for a spectacular season playing with Randy Moss.
After Moss, the list of Brady Patriots best receivers says, in no particular order: Julian Edelman, Deion Branch, Wes Welker, and David Patten. With apologies to the Edelman Hive, no one on this list looks like a Hall of Fame member.
But Brady had Gronk. And no one else in the NFL did.
Gronkowski set a new standard for tight ends in the NFL
When he joined New England as the second-round pick in Arizona in 2010, Gronkowski was like nothing the NFL had ever seen. After catching 10 touchdowns as a rookie, he exploded into his second season with a 90-catch, 1,327-yard, 17-touchdown campaign to secure his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro nominations.
FOXBOROUGH, MA – OCTOBER 14: Tom Brady # 12 talks to Rob Gronkowski # 87 of the New England Patriots after a win over the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium on October 14, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman / Getty Images)
The wounds threatened to derail Gronk
The wounds finally took their toll. Gronkowski overcame New England Super Bowl XLVI defeat to the New York Giants after the 2011 season by a sprained ankle in the AFC Championship. He needed surgery after the season.
The following season, he broke his forearm on two separate occasions, including during a playoff win over the Houston Texans. That injury required multiple operations. He also needed back surgery that low season. His illness left him out of the first six games of 2013. He lasted seven games before ending in 2013 on the injured reserve with a shattered knee that left him with tears at the LCA and LCM. He suffered several concussions along the way.
The damage to his body left reasonable questions as to whether Gronkowski’s career could survive his physical style of play. He immediately let go of those concerns in 2014, the year that really left its mark on Patriots history. Gronkowski recovered from a multitude of injuries to play 15 games, catching 82 passes for 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns. Gronk had returned. He was awarded the NFL Player of the Year for his efforts. He also won his first Super Bowl.
He was the first of Gronkowski’s three rings with the Patriots, as he became the star of the second of two Brady Super Bowl trilogies. When he finished collecting rings in New England, he had gained so much influence that no one blinked when he lifted the Vince Lombardi Trophy while using it as a baseball bat. It was just Gronk being Gronk. And that was the formula for success.
Gronk will do it. (Fred Kfoury III / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
One last fruitful race
Gronkowski was a rare bright light in a 13-3 victory in Super Bowl LIII over the Los Angeles Rams. He took two passes for 47 yards in a critical fourth-quarter series that put the Patriots on the 2-yard line for the game’s only touchdown. It was a suitable coda for a spectacular career, and Gronkowski said he was leaving that season low.
But Brady continued. And when he went to Tampa Bay, Gronkowski couldn’t resist the appeal of another race with his future Hall of Fame counterpart. The warm weather sure helped. Gronkowski retired. And of course, the pair won their last Super Bowl along with Gronkowski by grabbing two touchdowns from Brady against the Kansas City Chiefs.
After another successful season, albeit without a ring, Gronkowski finished his career with 621 catches (10th between tight ends), 9,286 yards received (fifth) and 92 touchdowns (third). He reached those numbers in 143 games, just over half the time it took Gonzalez (270 games) and Gates (236 games) to reach their brilliant career totals. It also has lots of rings to display.
While Gronkowski says this is the end, it may not be. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that he’s not sure Gronkowski really ended up in the NFL.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Tom Brady called him during the season to come back and Rob would answer the call,” Rosenhaus said. “That’s just my opinion, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Rob comes back next season or next season.”
Gronkowski may be imagining spending the NFL season on his couch right now, but we may not have seen him catch his last pass from Brady.