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

[luuked]

Florio is the proverbial broken clock.

He might be a broken clock but he is plugged in with Gronk Inc. the same way La Canfora is connected when it comes to the Steelers. Definitely would not dismiss this report just because of who posted it.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

Gronk is hurt. Have you tried running a slant with a bad back. When he comes back and plays well you haters we start asking for a contract extension.

Agree that when healthy he plays well.

No way in hell am I giving him an extension past what he’s signed for (2019)

 

[supafly]

Probably best for the Pats if he does retire. He’s the GOAT but his prime is over.

Rob Gronkowski is not the greatest TE of all time. He certainly has potential to be, but his career accomplishments to date do not put him at #1.

 

[supafly]

He should be in the WWE this year.

I’m not too sure that would be what his neurosurgeon recommends after three back surgeries and the need to protect his bionic arm. And for a small fraction of the NFL money, to boot.

Maybe we see him in a limited role at Wrestlemania once a year or whenever it occurs (I stopped paying attention once my age hit double digits), where he can make a few extra bucks like his endorsement deals.

I disagree with the notion that he’d be able to star in movies and have reality TV shows that lasted more than a season or two. I think he would fade into the background rather quickly without prolonging his NFL career for another 2-3 seasons.

 

[Bonzo]

Saddens me to admit it, but lately I've been pretty eager to learn what Bob Quinn was prepared to send us back in April, in exchange for Gronk.

 

[MassPats38]

He might be a broken clock but he is plugged in with Gronk Inc. the same way La Canfora is connected when it comes to the Steelers. Definitely would not dismiss this report just because of who posted it.

I wouldn't dismiss it any more than I would accept it. Gronk was supposedly thinking about retiring last year, and won't play for any team other than the Pats. Now it's a money thing or retirement, after a season of being less than healthy?

I just don't ride a roller-coaster of insider claims. It's not worth the energy.

 

[supafly]

Saddens me to admit it, but lately I've been pretty eager to learn what Bob Quinn was prepared to send us back in April, in exchange for Gronk.

Just pretend that we have another high pick in April or used it to pick Duke Dawson, this year. That will likely get you in the ballpark. Either way, it probably wouldn’t have been worth it with a semi-healthy Gronk. The obvious issue is trying to determine how long Gronk can continue his career, and how much this current injury has been holding him back.

 

[mgteich]

I expect Gronk to do great in the playoffs and the SB.

The open question is whether the team is willing to pay him over $9M for his 2019 services. It's an open question.

Gronk is hurt. Have you tried running a slant with a bad back. When he comes back and plays well you haters we start asking for a contract extension.

 

[reflexblue]

Then he’s gone. The Patriots are not going to give him what he’s looking for when he’s as banged up as he is.

will TB retire also?

 

[Gronkowski123]

Gronk want touchdown. Gronk happy

 

[IcyPatriot]

Gronk want touchdown. Gronk happy

So what are you going to do?

 

[Soliel]

This is starting now? Lol

 

[Foxypats]

Well if Gronk does retire, I will miss him. He has been fun to watch and has been an absolute beast for us in so many games .

 

[libra957]

His future in a pat uniform isn't looking good. If anything, he needs to take a pay cut.

 

[Gronk]

Double edged sword. We were screwed early this season and Gronk was abused as a safety net. Gronk’s also the reason for a lot of big plays in huge games that kept us in it. We weren’t even close to Denver in 2015 without him.

Injuries are an issue. But he adds so much in passing and blocking

Well the 2015 thing isn't true. Gronk got knocked out of the regular season game late but the fumbled punt was the bigger culprit there. He had 8/144 and a td in the title game. Even so the '15 AFCCG remains maybe the greatest Brady/Gronk performance ever (certainly in a loss) because they almost single-handedly pulled out a win despite two early blown-coverage TDs on defense, the missed Ghost XP, Brady getting the **** knocked out of him because the OL was trash, Edelman being nowhere near fully back from his foot injury, and having literally no run game to speak of to the point that the corpse of Steven Jackson was used as a RB. Brady led the team in rushing. With 13 yards.

Other than acquiring Marty Bennett, as much as Bill may see the value in having great TEs, they've never really had a similar pass/block threat at the position since Gronk has been here. Allen looked like he might be a great TE2 based on his play in IND but obviously he hasn't been that here. Hollister barely plays the same position. While the offensive system hasn't changed, the importance of premier talents are certain positions is at least a little bit malleable, e.g. no one they had at TE before Gronk was even close to what he is and they won games by having guys who were good blockers and decent receivers but maybe they had Corey Dillon, or more depth at WR, or Bennett gutting out an injury in '16 giving them enough to win the SB without Gronk.

Whether this offseason or some other one coming soon, the goal can't really be to find a "new Gronk" because that doesn't really exist, they need a good TE or two for sure, but if they don't have "stars" at the position then they need to find someone who is truly elite level at RB or WR to make up for it. If he goes he goes, I just hope he can get back on the field, they can string a couple W's together and get some of this talk of it behind them and make whatever run they can make and leave the rest of it for the offseason. If he can't stay on the field and play well this year then all the new contract talk will be moot anyway.

 

[obgod3]

Id be surprised if he plays at all next year. Regardless at some point the Pats have to draft a big ass TE.

 

[NG Pats Fan]

I’d love to find an Aaron Hernandez the player type clone at TE. Loved the two headed tight end monster we had in 2010-11. We used to hang 40-45 on elite defenses easily. Brady plays much better with two good Tight ends on the field

 

[Flash]

Any TE prospects we should be looking out for in the draft? OJ Howard was probably the best TE prospect in recent memory and that's about it, would have liked to draft him but the Bucs took him way too high.

 

[Snooky97]

I’d love to find an Aaron Hernandez the player type clone at TE. Loved the two headed tight end monster we had in 2010-11. We used to hang 40-45 on elite defenses easily. Brady plays much better with two good Tight ends on the field

I have been trying to find comps for Aaron Hernandez but has been so hard to find someone like him. Some of things he could do were so elite at times

 

[maineman209]

Probably best for the Pats if he does retire. He’s the GOAT but his prime is over. He’s way too expensive for 5-8 games of solid, non-game changing play which is all you can hope for out of him

Given his age and amount of wear and tear in him, I don’t see any reason to expect him to be an elite player going forward. It could happen but it seems like an unlikely proposition at this point and not one worth betting significant cap space on in the future

Last season, Gronk ranked (among all pass-catchers):
.. 10th in receiving yards
.. 8th in receiving TDs
.. 8th in 20yd+ catches
.. 8th in receiving yds/game
.. 9th in receiving 1st downs

In 2017, Gronk was the Pats most productive receiver in total receiving yards, yards/game and receiving TDs. He played in 14 games. He was targeted in only 13 games.

2017: 15.7 YPC .. 4.9 rec/game .. 65.7% catch rate
2018: 15.4 YPC .. 4.1 rec/game .. 67.4% catch rate
(playing on an injured ankle since wk-3)

Gronk has played in 7 games so far this season. There are 6 games left on the schedule.

Gronk's 2018 cap hit would rank 10th among WRs
His 2019 cap hit would rank 18th among WRs.

Gronk turns 30 in May 2019.