Patriots Rumors: Rob Gronkowski retirement rumblings legitimate
Recent New England Patriots rumors revolve around tight end Rob Gronkowski, who is reportedly seriously questioning his football future.
The New England Patriots lost in Super Bowl LII to the Philadelphia Eagles less than a week ago, yet Patriots rumors are already picking up. After receiving some good news about offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels remaining with the staff, the most recent rumors aren’t as positive.
The most recent Patriots rumors involve all-world tight end, Rob Gronkowski. There is no doubt that Gronkowski is the best tight end in the NFL and one of the greatest to ever play. However, given the demand of his position, he takes a beating.
Despite being a mountain of a man, Gronkowski is not indestructible. He has dealt with a number of injuries in his career. Gronkowski played in all 16 regular games the first two seasons of his career but hasn’t done it since. In the next six seasons, he has failed to reach double-digit regular season games played twice.
Most recently, Gronkowski suffered a scary concussion against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Championship game. An injury like that is something that can make a player consider how much longer they will play. It sounds as if Gronkowski is wondering that as well.
More from Musket Fire
- What trading Mac Jones during the draft can do for the Patriots
- Best and worst draft picks during the Bill Belichick era
- Early round Patriots draft picks you’ll hate now, love later
- Musket Fire Roundup: Our own final predictions for round 1
- Breaking down the Patriots’ options in the 2023 NFL Draft
After the Super Bowl, Gronkowski was noncommittal on his future in the NFL. It sounds like there could be fire to that smoke.
According to Albert Breer of MMQB, the talk of Gronkowski possibly retiring are real.
"I believe Rob Gronkowski’s rumblings about retirement are real. He’s been responsible with his finances (putting away most of his football money and living largely off his endorsement cash), and he’s taken an absolute beating. That this is a real choice for high-profile players now is great progress, too. Give credit to ex-Niner LB Patrick Willis and ex-Lions WR Calvin Johnson credit for blazing that trail."
Asking a player about his playing future after a 22-week season and loss in the Super Bowl, there will be some indecision. They are tired and hurting. No one is fully healthy after that grueling season. Gronkowski has taken a beating throughout his NFL career, so it is understandable.
Gronkowski will turn 29 this year, so he has plenty of productive seasons ahead of him. However, as Breer noted, we have seen superstars step away despite having something in the tank to preserve their health for the future. Could Gronkowski be next in that line of players?
If he were to retire, he wouldn’t be out of work for long. According to ESPN, actors are encouraging Gronkowski to pursue a career in Hollywood. The Eagle-Tribune has reported that Dwayne Johnson, better known as The Rock from WWE, and Sylvester Stallone have urged Gronkowski to try his hand at acting.
Gronkowski has some acting performances under the belt. He has made cameos in movies, also appearing in some commercials.
According to ESPN, Gronkowski was telling people close to him that he was contemplating the end of his playing days as football was taking a toll on him.
Next: 16 Most Important Patriots During Their Dynasty
This will be something to keep an eye on throughout the offseason. If Gronkowski is serious about retiring, the Patriots would have a huge hole to fill in their offense.