Tight end Rob Gronkowski #87 of the New England Patriots
Rob Gronkowski has retired from the NFL.
The 29-year-old New England Patriots tight end capped off a career with four All-Pro honors and three championship rings on Sunday. In an Instagram post, one of the NFL’s biggest personalities acknowledged why he was leaving football behind.
While still a dominant playmaker, the tight end had clearly lost a step. He no longer required double teams from a defense but was able to make up for it with excellent run blocking.
“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.”
In the last game of his career, Gronkowski’s last catch was a deep ball thrown into triple coverage that he pulled down to put the Pats within scoring range. Moments later, they’d push the ball into the end-zone and he’d walk away with a third Super Bowl ring.
30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW
Here are some of the best reactions around the world of sports to Gronk’s retirement:
Jakob Butturff, an eight-time Professional Bowlers Association Tour champion who called Arizona home, died unexpectedly…
The San Francisco 49ers have confirmed that wide receiver Ricky Pearsall will undergo season-ending surgery…
Dillon Brooks has never been shy about the rivals he's made around the NBA, but…
Billy Ray Smith Jr., the College Football Hall of Fame linebacker who became one of…
Taysom Hill's nine-year run in the New Orleans Saints is over. The versatile utility man…
The WNBA found itself in an awkward spot Wednesday night after posting — and then…