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New England Patriots: Rob Gronkowski discusses retirement talk

By Nick Ziegler

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 04: Rob Gronkowski #87 of the New England Patriots walks off the field after his teams 41-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 41-33. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 04: Rob Gronkowski #87 of the New England Patriots walks off the field after his teams 41-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 41-33. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Recently, New England Patriots tight end, Rob Gronkowski, discussed where he was at regarding the retirement talk.

One of the significent storylines for the New England Patriots this offseason was about the future of Rob Gronkowski with the team. Shortly after the Super Bowl, reports came out that Gronkowski was thinking about retirement.

While Gronkowski is still a relatively young player, he has dealt with a lot of injuries in his career. In three of his eight seasons, Gronkowski was played in fewer than 12 games. While he was able to avoid any major injuries during the regular season last year, he did suffer a nasty concussion against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Championship Game.

With all of the new information coming out about concussions and their long-term effects, Gronkowski being spooked by it is certainly fair. Without a commitment to the Patriots for a good part of the offseason, Gronkowski was reportedly being shopped around a bit prior to the NFL Draft. However, he did end up saying that he won’t be retiring, and that seemed to end all of the trade talks.

Recently, Gronkowski talked to Willie McGinest of the NFL network about him thinking about retiring. Here’s what he had to say with text via NESN.com.

"“I am refreshed,” he added. “You know how after a long season your body can feel and everything, so I just wanted to see where I was at and see how I can get my body feeling, see if I can handle it and endure it again, and I feel super ready.”"

Judging by his comments, it appears like the wear and tear of a long season took a toll on him. Considering his injury history and high workload as a tight end, Gronkowski likely was hurting a bit when the season came to an end.

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However, it is good to see that he seems to be refreshed and ready for the start of 2018. If Gronkowski did retire, it would have been a huge blow for the Patriots. As the best tight end in the NFL, Gronkowski would be nearly impossible to replace. Training camp starts for the Patriots at the end of July, and it will be good to see Gronkowski back out there.

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