FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement from the NFL via an Instagram post on Sunday. After nine seasons with the New England Patriots, he is putting an end to a career in which he transcended the tight end position and was one of the league's most colorful personalities.
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Patriots quarterback Tom Brady left a response on Gronkowski's Instagram page, saying, "Love u man!! The [GOAT]!! Couldn't be a better person or teammate!!!!"
Gronkowski called Patriots owner Robert Kraft Sunday to inform him of his decision to retire, a source said.
Gronkowski's 79 touchdown receptions since he joined the Patriots as a second-round draft choice in 2010 led the NFL. He had 10 or more touchdown receptions in five seasons, which is the most by a tight end in NFL history.
In all, Gronkowski played in 115 regular-season games, totaling 521 receptions for 7,861 yards. He also played in 16 playoff games, with 81 receptions for 1,163 yards and 12 touchdowns -- all records for a tight end.
Gronkowski's 12 postseason touchdown receptions are tied for second in NFL history among all players, behind that of Jerry Rice (22). He has four career 100-yard receiving games in the playoffs, tying him with Vernon Davis and Keith Jackson for the most by a tight end.
An often overlooked part of Gronkowski's game was his powerful blocking, which made him a rarity in today's game: a true "combination" tight end, equally effective as a blocker and pass-catcher.
In the days leading up to the Patriots' victory against the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII, Gronkowski discussed the physical toll football had taken on him.
"The season is a grind. It's up and down. I'm not going to lie and sit here and say every week is the best. Not at all. You go up. You go down. You can take some serious hits," he said. "Try to imagine getting hit all the time and trying to be where you want to be every day in life. It's tough. It's difficult. To take hits to the thigh, to take hits to your head, abusing your body, isn't what your brain wants. When your body is abused, it can bring down your mood. You have to be able to deal with that, too, throughout the season. You have to be able to deal with that going into games."
The 6-foot-6, 268-pound Gronkowski has a lengthy injury history but has taken pride in bouncing back from various ailments, which have included surgeries on his back, forearm and knee.
Gronkowski, who turns 30 on May 14, was reflective at times leading into Super Bowl LIII.
"I'm really satisfied with how my whole career has been. Super satisfied. There's ups and downs, but the thing is always coming back," he said. "There's so many examples of great players here before me, when I was young, to look up to and see how they bounce back when something adverse comes their way."
Gronkowski's upbeat personality was infectious among his teammates, something that in some ways began the day the Patriots selected him with the 42nd overall pick out of Arizona.
"There was, like, a big mosh pit on stage, and I think everybody was excited to see that," Brady recalled in the days leading up to Super Bowl LIII. "I remember [receiver] Wes [Welker] being like, 'We got this guy, and this is the kind of attitude we need.' Gronk has cut it loose. I think everyone appreciates him."
At the same time, Brady highlighted a different side of Gronkowski, as he has long been one of the most philanthropic players on the team. In 2016, Gronkowski was the team's recipient of the Ron Burton Community Service Award.
"For as big and physical as he is, he is a gentle, kind man," Brady said.
Gronkowski's notable accomplishments on the field include:
In 2011, he set NFL single-season records for touchdowns (18) and receiving yards (1,327) by a tight end and became the first tight end to lead the conference in scoring with 108 points.
Between 2010 and '12, he became the first tight end in NFL history with three straight 10-plus touchdown seasons.
He led all tight ends in receiving yards for the fourth time in 2017, trailing only Tony Gonzalez (seven) and Shannon Sharpe (five) for most seasons leading the league in receiving yards as a tight end.
He became the only tight end in NFL history to post three seasons of 1,000 yards receiving and 10-plus touchdowns (2011, 2014, 2015).
He reached 1,000 yards receiving for the fourth time in his career in 2017, tying Gonzalez and Jason Witten for the most 1,000-yard seasons by a tight end in NFL history. His 80 touchdowns (79 receiving, one rushing) are the most in Patriots history. Only Antonio Gates and Philip Rivers have connected on more touchdowns between a tight end and quarterback in NFL history than Gronkowski's 78 with Brady.
He recorded his 50th touchdown reception in his 59th game, which was 33 games earlier than the next-fastest tight end.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/26351121/grateful-gronkowski-announces-retirement
2019-03-24 22:18:33Z
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