Rob Gronkowski to officially retire from NFL with ceremonial signing of one-day contract with Patriots
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Rob Gronkowski is officially retiring from the NFL and signing a one-day contract to ensure he becomes a “Patriot for Life.”
Gronkowski said on “News NFL Sunday” that he will sign a one-day contract with the New England Patriots this week to retire as a member of the storied franchise with which he won three of his four Super Bowl rings.
The announcement came when the Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the last team on which Gronkowski played alongside Tom Brady and with whom he won Super Bowl LV in 2021, would face each other. Brady was on the call for that contest along with Kevin Burkhardt.
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New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski catches a pass defended by Baltimore Ravens defensive back Rashaan Melvin in the first quarter. The New England Patriots face the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round of the NFL AFC playoffs at Gillette Stadium in Newsboro. (Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)
The Patriots announced Monday that Gronkowski would sign the one-day contract Wednesday afternoon, ahead of the team’s “Thursday Night Football” matchup against the AFC East rival New York Jets.
Gronkowski, 36, began his NFL career in 2010, when the Patriots selected him 42nd overall in the second round out of Arizona. He spent nine seasons in New England, becoming one of the best tight ends to play the game as he and Brady developed a connection that was a big part of winning those Super Bowls under head coach Bill Belichick.
He had initially said he would hang up his cleats after the 2018 season, but when Brady left the Patriots to join the Buccaneers, Gronkowski couldn’t resist another chance to play with his favorite quarterback in the Sunshine State.
Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady celebrate after winning the Super Bowl. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
With a loaded Buccaneers team, Brady and Gronkowski won their last Super Bowl together, where the tight end scored twice at Raymond James Stadium to secure the Vince Lombardi Trophy over the Kansas City Chiefs. It was a 31-9 beating.
Gronkowski retired after the 2022 season, and Brady did the same in 2023 after a first-round exit against the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs.
While Gronkowski and Brady remain colleagues on the News Sports team, they are watching the Patriots return to their old winning ways, like when they were there. A fellow Patriot, head coach Mike Vrabel, is leading the way in his first season on the job.
There’s also a new sheriff in town, at least at the quarterback position. Drake Maye, whom the franchise selected third overall out of UNC in 2024, has been playing like an MVP candidate as the team is 8-2 in its first 10 games. He is third in the NFL in yards (2,555) and tied for third in touchdown passes (19). Maye’s 113.9 quarterback rating is also sixth in the league.
Rob Gronkowski on the field before the game between the California Golden Bears and the UNLV Rebels in the LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium on December 18, 2024. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images)
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The future is bright for New England, but one of its legends ensured his NFL book was closed as a member of the historic franchise.
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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for News Digital.