TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Four-time All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement again, meaning he will not join Tom Brady for a third season in Tampa Bay.
In an Instagram post Tuesday, the four-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots and Buccaneers thanked his teammates and coaches over the years and said he’s going back to “chilling out.”
“I want to thank the whole entire first class Buccaneers organization for an amazing ride, trusting me to come back to play and help build a championship team,” Gronkowski wrote. “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. The friendships and relationships I have made will last forever, and I appreciate every single one of my teammates and coaches for giving everything they had as well.”
STATEMENT FROM BUCCANEERS GENERAL MANAGER JASON LICHT REGARDING ROB GRONKOWSKI’S RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT:
“Rob is a true professional who left it all on the field for us the past two seasons and helped establish a championship culture in our building. He played a crucial part in our Super Bowl LV championship season in 2020 and battled through a number of injuries last year while on the way to one of the most productive receiving yardage seasons in his 11-year career. It is always difficult to see a great player walk away from the game when he is still enjoying that kind of success, but the overwhelming emotions I feel today are gratitude and respect for one of the greatest tight ends who ever played the game. While his on-field accomplishments will surely earn him a gold jacket and a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it is his humble attitude and team-first approach to the game that truly defined his career.”
