Rob Gronkowski’s greatest hits, catches, and plays
Rob Gronkowski’s final NFL catch in Super Bowl 53
When considering Gronkowski’s greatest catch, for us, it’s a toss-up between his one-handed grab against Denver in 2014 and his final NFL catch against Los Angeles in last February’s Super Bowl. The former was probably more impressive from a sheer physics and degree of difficulty standpoint; the latter is more impressive because of the gravity of the situation, the significance of its emotional resonance, and the greater mileage on Gronk’s body when it happened.
In a low-scoring game that fittingly saw Gronkowski reel in six catches for 87 yards (the same number as his jersey), it was his last catch that will probably stand the test of time and come to define him as a player. With the game deadlocked at three points apiece and with less than eight minutes left to go in the fourth quarter, Brady and the Pats faced 2nd-and-3 from the Rams’ 31-yard line.
Rather than turning to Sony Michel, Rex Burkhead, or James White to try and seek an easy conversion on the ground, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had Brady somewhat-surprisingly decide to air it out. Tom Terrific lofted a graceful 29-yard pass down the left seam of the field to a streaking Gronkowski, who lunged forward to haul it in and secure it against his body, despite being surrounded by three different Rams defenders.
If it was indeed Gronk’s final catch in the NFL – and assuming he doesn’t change his mind about retirement and returns to the Patriots (one can hope and pray) – then it certainly was a thing of beauty.
The catch set up the Patriots for a Sony Michel two-yard touchdown plunge that would go down as the game’s only touchdown… but it would be more than enough. New England iced the game later with a Stephon Gilmore interception and a Stephen Gostkowski field goal to make it 13-3, and soon after, the Patriots tied the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Super Bowl championships in the NFL with six.
Next. How do the Patriots plan to replace Rob Gronkowski?. dark
Every New England fan wants Gronkowski back another year, there’s no doubt about it. But if indeed his heart is set on walking away from football to focus on other pursuits (WWE? Acting? Party cruise hosting?), then at the very least we should be thankful to him for giving us a Hall of Fame-caliber career.
In nine years, Gronk was the lynchpin for the Patriots’ dominance offensively, and the impact and importance of his numerous contributions as a player, personality, and humanitarian cannot be overlooked. For a man with as many memorable moments as Gronk, we’re grateful we had the chance to consider them all and compile this list of his “Greatest Hits” as a player in the NFL.