Two years after Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement from professional football in 2018, iconic quarterback Tom Brady was able to convince him to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, it seems as though this retirement will be a little bit more permanent.
“I will now be going back into my retirement home, walking away from football again with my head held high knowing I gave it everything I had, good or bad, every time I stepped out on the field,” the four-time Super Bowl champion wrote in the caption of an Instagram post at the end of the 2021 season.
He added, “The friendships and relationships I have made will last forever, and I appreciate every single one of my teammates and coaches for giving everything they had as well.”
Despite this proclamation, many were left wondering if Gronkowski was actually finished playing the game. At the age of 33, he had nine seasons with the Patriots under his belt and closes the 2020 season with a Super Bowl win. Some may argue that if Tom Brady could convince him to un-retire once, he could certainly be persuaded again. Despite all of this, Gronkowski made it explicitly clear that his time on the playing field is over.
“I’m done with football,” the ex-NFL tight end player said during an interview in Boston. “Love the game. Definitely blessed with all the opportunities the game of football has given me, and relationships — obviously here in New England Patriots for nine seasons and down in Tampa for two. But done with football…”
Even if asked by Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski will not return to the NFL
Gronkowski even touched base on how he would proceed if Tom Brady was to ask him to return to the Buccaneers. He acknowledged that getting a personal invitation from the greatest quarterback of all time is tempting, but his decision would still be to remain in retirement.
“I would answer, obviously, the greatest quarterback of all time. Ask him how he’s doing. Tell him I’m doing good,” the 33-year-old relayed. “But I wouldn’t go back to football — no.”
With all this being said, Gronkowski’s decision to retire feels very set in stone. But, what does retirement look like for the former athlete? Apparently, he would like to have a career in business moving forward.
Explaining how he plans to spend his time without football, the NFL star shared, “[I’m] stepping my feet into the business world, business ventures, and just seeing what’s out there and where I can find my place.”
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