Rob Gronkowski is signing a super short contract with the New England Patriots so that he can retire for good with the team.
Gronkowski initially retired in 2019 after nine seasons with the Patriots, but he came out of retirement to join his former teammate, Tom Brady, at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 for two seasons before retiring again in 2022.
“I am signing a one-day contract with the Patriots this week, coming up to retire as a Patriot and be a Patriot for life,” Gronkowski announced on Sunday (Nov. 9) ahead of the Patriots-Buccaneers game, per WCVB.
Gronkowski is one of the most accomplished tight ends in NFL history, setting several records, including the most combined receptions and receiving yards by a player in his role in Super Bowl history. He helped the Patriots become Super Bowl champions three times and became a four-time champion in his comeback season with the Buccaneers.
When he spoke to Complex in 2020, he said he was “very firm” in his decision to retire from football, despite later joining Brady at the Buccaneers. At the time of his forest retirement, the Patriots still held his NFL rights. The Patriots agreed to trade him to the Buccaneers thanks to Brady’s insistence.
Before the game on Sunday, Gronkowski was asked if he was rooting for the Patriots or the Buccaneers to win, considering he played with both teams. “I’m going with the Patriots,” he said, as seen in the clip below. “But I know and I know he is still bitter the Patriots let him go for his final three seasons in the NFL, so he’s secretly rooting for the Buccaneers.”
For his part, Brady insisted that he’s “got great friends on both sides,” and refused to reveal who he was rooting for. “I’m not saying who I’m rooting for. I’m not really rooting for one or the other, but one team built me a statue, so the ball’s in your court, Tampa,” he joked. “Just saying!”
