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Rob Gronkowski is officially retiring from the NFL, and he’s signing a one-day contract to ensure he’ll be a “patriot for life.”
Gronkowski said on “FOX NFL Sunday” that he will sign a one-day contract with the New England Patriots this week to retire as a member of the great franchise with which he won three of his four Super Bowl rings.
The announcement came as the Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the last team Gronkowski played for with Tom Brady and with whom he won Super Bowl LV in 2021, were set to meet. Brady was on the call for that contest along with Kevin Burkhardt.
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New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski hauls in a pass that is defended by Baltimore Ravens defensive back Rashaan Melvin in the 1st quarter. The New England Patriots take on the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. (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” game against the New York Jets, their AFC East rival.
Gronkowski, 36, began his NFL career in 2010 when the Patriots drafted him 42nd overall in the second round out of Arizona. He spent nine seasons in New England and became one of the best tight ends to play the game as he and Brady developed a connection that was a key part of winning those Super Bowls under head coach Bill Belichick.
He had originally said he was hanging up his cleats after the 2018 season, but when Brady moved on from the Patriots to join the Buccaneers, Gronkowski couldn’t resist another opportunity 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 squad, Brady and Gronkowski won their last Super Bowl together, with the tight end scoring twice at Raymond James Stadium to secure the Vince Lombardi Trophy over the Kansas City Chiefs. It was a 31-9 blowout.
Gronkowski retired after the 2022 season, and Brady followed suit in 2023 after a first-round exit against the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs.
While Gronkowski and Brady remain colleagues on the Fox Sports team, they see the Patriots returning to their old winning ways like when they were there. A fellow Patriot, head coach Mike Vrabel, is leading the charge in his first season in the role.
There’s also a new sheriff in town, at least at the quarterback position. Drake Maye, who the franchise picked third overall out of UNC in 2024, has played like an MVP candidate as the team is 8-2 through its first 10 games. He is third in the NFL in passing yards (2,555) and third in touchdown passes (19). Maye’s 113.9 quarterback rating is also sixth in the league.
Rob Gronkowski on the field prior to 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)
The future is bright for New England, but one of its legends ensured that his NFL book closed as a member of the great franchise.
