Florio: Gronk may retire if he doesn’t get a new contract

[PatsFan2]

I don’t see it in the cards here for another year. He might get cut or traded or retire. I hate to say it but there’s almost no way he gets a new and better deal

Agree but: I think Gronk said he ain't playing for any QB but Brady.

 

[maineman209]

I don’t see it in the cards here for another year. He might get cut or traded or retire. I hate to say it but there’s almost no way he gets a new and better deal

I'd say slightly better than a 50% chance the Pats offer Gronk a 1-yr extension that lowers his 2019 cap hit in exchange for some guaranteed money in signing bonus that can be amortized over two years by the Pats. A significant percentage of his potential max earnings would be in the form of weekly roster bonus and incentive bonus. In fact, the Pats may insist on that rather than merely paying him to play his 2019 contract out.

IIRC, Gronk has stated publicly that he won't play for another team. If he's sticking to that, then a trade is off the table.

So, Gronk's only alternative to negotiating an extension might be to retire.

 

[1960Pats]

Florio is just another "bait and switch guy", so what he say is often only conjecture (lies to most of us).

Consider:
2012 he played 11 games
2013 played 7 games
2014 & 2015 he played 15 games each year
2016 played 8 games
2017 played 14 games
2018 played 7 out of 10 games...

According to the NFL PA the average shelf life of an NFL player is 3.3 years, have to wonder if the ship has sailed for Gronk...

I hear that 3.3 years number and I have to wonder which players the NFLPA counts. Is it every player who gets offered a contract? There are a ton of players who never make it at all that might be getting counted and would lower the average years service significantly.

Looking on pro reference I see that many, many players are listed as 1926-1926, 1988-1988, 2010-2010 and so on. Maybe those players played one season or didn't even last for a year. In the case of Tom Brady there would only have to be six players with 1 year service to bring their number down to the 3.3 range.

I think it's far too early to put Gronk out to pasture.

 

[Soliel]

I'd say slightly better than a 50% chance the Pats offer Gronk a 1-yr extension that lowers his 2019 cap hit in exchange for some guaranteed money in signing bonus that can be amortized over two years by the Pats. A significant percentage of his potential max earnings would be in the form of weekly roster bonus and incentive bonus. In fact, the Pats may insist on that rather than merely paying him to play his 2019 contract out.

IIRC, Gronk has stated publicly that he won't play for another team. If he's sticking to that, then a trade is off the table.

So, Gronk's only alternative to negotiating an extension might be to retire.

I could see a restructured deal. Hard for me to envision B.B. paying more than what we are now. Myself, I’d resign him if it was possible, B.B. always does like the opposite of that lol

 

[1960Pats]

Kraft should let Bill run the team and not get in the way. Even if that means letting Brady go at some point.

Yup. Otherwise Kraft is Jerruh Jones.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Yup. Otherwise Kraft is Jerruh Jones.

Kraft was kinda Jerruh-ish in the beginning, actually, but then he got better.

 

[maineman209]

I could see a restructured deal. Hard for me to envision B.B. paying more than what we are now. Myself, I’d resign him if it was possible, B.B. always does like the opposite of that lol

The point is that, after the end of the 2018 season, the Pats aren't actually "paying" Gronk anything, unless he's on the roster for week-1. At that point, as a vet, his $9M salary becomes fully guaranteed. At anytime prior to that, they can cut him and the only dead money would be the $2M from the final pro-rated portion of his previous signing bonus (which hits the cap either way).

 

[HailHydra]

It's time for a new TE era - and unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be many physical freaks that can catch and block out there.

 

[mgteich]

Gronk can simply do nothing. If the team wants to cut him, or risk him being injured during practices, that is their choice. It is up to the team. If he is on the roster for Game 1, he gets $9M.

The only way the team can avoid the $9M cap hit is to waive him or have him sign a new contract. I suppose that they could trade him, but no one would pay very much, with him threatening to retire.

So, it's up to the team.

.
So, Gronk's only alternative to negotiating an extension might be to retire.

 

[RobertWeathers]

It's time for a new TE era - and unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be many physical freaks that can catch and block out there.

Gronk is/was a generational talent. Those types are beyond rare now.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Gronk is/was a generational talent. Those types are beyond rare now.

Yeah his replacement will not even come close to what he has done for us. Sucks but the end is coming for him in the NFL

 

[tasmlab]

Gronk has historically played in 75% of games since being on the team. Not great, but not quite the dire sentiment some are saying in this thread about him never being on the field.

 

[supafly]

I think it's far too early to put Gronk out to pasture.

This could be true, especially if he helps them get deep into the postseason. The concern of course, would be his cap hit for next year and whether or not they feel like the value is still there, but I certainly wouldn’t go writing him off just yet.