Former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski called it a career for the second time on Tuesday, with the 33-year old making the announcement over social media.
“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,” wrote Gronk.
Gronkowski finishes his career with over 9,000 receiving yards (9286yds) along with 92 touchdowns.
Gronkowski certainly goes down as one of the toughest players we’ve seen come through New England. He was one of the more ferocious blockers for a player at his position, but he took some unbelievable hits over the course of his playing days. The injuries were likely a massive frustration, with Gronk dealing with some fairly difficult ones.
It started with the forearm fracture he suffered near the end of the 59-24 blowout win over Indianapolis in 2012, which happened as he was in blocking for the team’s final extra point. He returned for the season finale against the Dolphins, but re-broke it in a different place during the Divisional Round against Houston, which required multiple surgeries. That injury saw him then wear an arm brace for the remainder of his time here.
For Gronkowski, the ACL/MCL tear he suffered against Cleveland was probably the worst one, with Bill Belichick giving Browns defensive back TJ Ward the death stare following the hit which occurred the following season in 2013. Ward came flying in low on the play, with the defensive back striking Gronkowski’s knee just as his front foot landed and completely upended him. Gronkowski would be carted off the field and his season was over.
Gronkowski’s 2013 season came to an end after that hit.
Probably one of the more memorable moments that reminded everyone that the tight end was a real person with serious fears was the hit he took out in Denver in 2015 when he was struck just above his knee again against the Broncos with just under three minutes left in regulation. Gronkowski flailed around on the ground looking frightened at the thought of potentially dealing with another significant knee injury. The play was eerily similar, with Gronkowski running down the seam with the ball arriving just as defensive back Darian Stewart came in low and hit his leg.
Fortunately, the injury didn’t end up being serious and Gronkowski suffered what was reported to be a “bone bruise”. However, it seemingly led to a rift between Gronkowski and the club’s medical staff as he was adamant about seemingly not wanting to take any chances.
The tight end ended up releasing a statement on his status and said he was “week-to-week” and that he would return “when I am 100 percent”. But that moment is one that comes to mind as a reminder of the fear even the best NFL players deal with. Thankfully, it wasn’t serious, and he eventually returned to the line-up that season.
For fans here in New England, Gronkowski’s final reception as a member of the Patriots is definitely a memorable one. The tight end played a key role in the club’s game-winning drive in the Super Bowl against the Rams, with Gronkowski starting things off with an 18-yard reception, followed by the tight end making a diving grab for 29-yards three plays later that set up Sony Michel‘s go-ahead score on the next play to put New England up 10-3.
That helped give the tight end his third championship and Tom Brady’s sixth title, and capped off a pretty incredible Patriots career. He’ll certainly be in a red jacket in the Patriots Hall of Fame at some point, with a trip to Canton also likely in his future.
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
