Rapoport: Gronk seriously considering retirement after 2018

[Brady_to_Moss]

Can't believe I may have just seen his last home game ever at Gillette..and it was a blowout with him bullying people..god I am going to miss him..

 

[PatsDeb]

We know, you dumbass, now sit back and enjoy the playoff run! Cripes almighty.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

We know, you dumbass, now sit back and enjoy the playoff run! Cripes almighty.

Sorry, was this directed at me as the OP?

 

[Love The Drake]

I dont know if I buy Gronk retiring.
I bet if he has a big game against KC or if we win a superbowl and hes a big part that Tom talks him out of it.

 

[PatsDeb]

Sorry, was this directed at me as the OP?

No, at the reporter.

 

[PP2]

I dont know if I buy Gronk retiring.
I bet if he has a big game against KC or if we win a superbowl and hes a big part that Tom talks him out of it.

Unfortunately his whole family is talking him into it.

 

[signbabybrady]

Unfortunately his whole family is talking him into it.

Not true.

 

[Brandon Manning]

Greatest Pats tight end. Gronk, Coates, & Francis.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Greatest Pats tight end. Gronk, Coates, & Watson.

Russ Francis and Danny Graham over Watson.

 

[signbabybrady]

Greatest Pats tight end. Gronk, Coates, & Watson.

Watson is not number 3. Russ Francis says hi.

 

[Coolade2]

As I posted before the game. He's still a good player.. IMO. If you watch Brady, he's looking at his other targets.

If youve had injury concerns , seems a good way to play NFL football. As a first class decoy, world class blocker.

In an offense with 4 other legit targets. This is not a compromise. He's still a great red zone target. Makes me wonder if it is just the game plan to go away from him and accept him in diminished role . Until defense shifts .

Don't retire..!! Probly the next game (or 2...? ) will tell the story more clearly.

 

[Joey007]

Watson is not number 3. Russ Francis says hi.

Idk about Daniel Graham. If you’re only factoring blocking, then sure.

 

[Spiral]

Don't care about any stats--I thoroughly enjoyed watching Gronk play yesterday. I thought he was one of the best players on the field. He was mauling guys, and by his reactions, loving every minute of it. He plays with such passion and enthusiasm. Maybe my favorite Patriot of all time.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Theory: Gronk needs season-ending (and basically career ending) surgery and decided to gut it out for one last run. Probably a back injury, since those don’t heal in their own. He can still get down and block, but as has been noted all year, won’t leap for passes and lacks explosiveness. Team clearly tries to limit big hits on him and his passing game usage is very low (yet still averaging 9.47 yards per target, which is still elite level.)

There’s no way Gronk has just become a cynic and lost his passion for the game or declined that quickly without some major injury causing it.

That’s my guess. He’s playing through something that’s normally a season ender and will have surgery after the season, and probably retire.

 

[Coolade2]

Theory: Gronk needs season-ending (and basically career ending) surgery and decided to gut it out for one last run. Probably a back injury, since those don’t heal in their own. He can still get down and block, but as has been noted all year, won’t leap for passes and lacks explosiveness. Team clearly tries to limit big hits on him and his passing game usage is very low (yet still averaging 9.47 yards per target, which is still elite level.)

There’s no way Gronk has just become a cynic and lost his passion for the game or declined that quickly without some major injury causing it.

That’s my guess. He’s playing through something that’s normally a season ended and will have surgery after the season, and probably retire.

That guess is probly just as accurate as your bookie guessing that 4 point spread then paying off pats fans.. haha

 

[Gronk]

Theory: Gronk needs season-ending (and basically career ending) surgery and decided to gut it out for one last run. Probably a back injury, since those don’t heal in their own. He can still get down and block, but as has been noted all year, won’t leap for passes and lacks explosiveness. Team clearly tries to limit big hits on him and his passing game usage is very low (yet still averaging 9.47 yards per target, which is still elite level.)

There’s no way Gronk has just become a cynic and lost his passion for the game or declined that quickly without some major injury causing it.

That’s my guess. He’s playing through something that’s normally a season ended and will have surgery after the season, and probably retire.

This could be. Off-season stuff aside he’s always been a loyal soldier (couldn’t think of a better word, not referencing Kellen Winslow lol) for TB and willing to go all-out to make catches and plays. If he just can’t do it anymore because of injury, whether acute or more broadly just a beat up body, the idea that he can do other things and is willing to do so for one more run makes sense. It also lines up with his “all in for the rest of the year” comment a few weeks back. Would be nice to have him back one more season to maul dudes like yesterday while they work in a new guy, but Gronk will do what Gronk does and I look forward to whatever that means for him. Beast.

 

[Soliel]

He should probably do that because he looks miserable at times

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

That guess is probly just as accurate as your bookie guessing that 4 point spread then paying off pats fans.. haha

Bookies don’t guess or bet on teams. That’s called a bettor. Bookies take bets on either side. Do you really not understand how it works? And still taking a victory lap after not being confident enough about the Pats -4 to actually risk or win anything?

Why did this board get such a crappy poster? Lowers the collective intelligence.

 

[supafly]

Theory: Gronk needs season-ending (and basically career ending) surgery and decided to gut it out for one last run. Probably a back injury, since those don’t heal in their own. He can still get down and block, but as has been noted all year, won’t leap for passes and lacks explosiveness. Team clearly tries to limit big hits on him and his passing game usage is very low (yet still averaging 9.47 yards per target, which is still elite level.)

There’s no way Gronk has just become a cynic and lost his passion for the game or declined that quickly without some major injury causing it.

That’s my guess. He’s playing through something that’s normally a season ended and will have surgery after the season, and probably retire.

You’re probably right about his injury, although I suppose that there’s still a chance that it’s something that could improve over the offseason without the need for surgery. That’s my hope.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

You’re probably right about his injury, although I suppose that there’s still a chance that it’s something that could improve over the offseason without the need for surgery. That’s my hope.

I hope he returns too. I think he should retire, based on everything I know about the situation. He’s financially set for life and has 2 (going for 3) SB rings and will be in the Hall of Fame. He’s been playing through pain his entire career and his body has been through so many major injuries. The back injury is the worst though, as I suspect it’s just been a recurring issue with the only variation in how bad it is on a given day. They say teams rarely draft college kids with disk problems, and he’s at least three disk surgeries. A lot of speculation here, but a lot of this has been reported in bits and pieces over the years. Now his family is publicly leaking stuff about retirement, or that he almost retired last year.

Could be something where he tells Belichick he’ll play but not if he has to do the daily grind. Belichick isn’t likely to accept that deal but who knows.