Rob Gronkowski has made a decision on his NFL future - report
Much to the delight of New England Patriots fans and the chagrin of the WWE, Patriots star tight end Rob Gronkowksi will reportedly return in 2018, per NFL reporter Ian Rapaport.
The expectation is that #Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski will return for 2018 after pondering his future, I’m told. He may never make a grand announcement, but the belief is entertainment opportunities (acting WWE) will wait. pic.twitter.com/WwbLZS4zfy
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 28, 2018
Gronkowski had been openly mulling retirement after the Patriots’ stunning loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII.
Despite being only 28, there was some credibility to the retirement chatter.
Money wouldn’t be an issue for Gronkowski. He has openly discussed his notorious frugality. Gronkowski allegedly hasn’t spent a penny of the money he’s earned in the NFL since his rookie season, and instead lives off of endorsement money.
Injuries, on the other hand, are certainly an issue for Gronkowksi. The brutish tight end’s physical style of play clearly takes a toll on his body. Gronkowski has suffered numerous injuries, dating back to college when a back injury necessitated surgery and prematurely ended his playing days at the University of Arizona.
In the NFL, Gronkowski has dealt with concussions, torn ligaments and broken bones on top of his iffy back.
Fueling the fire of retirement talk, a report from NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curry claims that Gronkowki was simply growing unhappy with his life.
“He didn’t enjoy himself in 2017,” said Curran on Monday. “He did not have a good time, despite the fact that his body was in a better situation than it’s been in a long time and despite the fact that he’s one of the most dominant players at any skill position. The atmosphere in New England is starting to wear on him physically and mentally.”
“He seriously considered stepping away from the game in training camp. He had kind of had it. At that point his body wasn’t responding. He wanted to train a certain way. The team didn’t necessarily want him to train the way he wanted to train. They were at loggerheads. He was pissed,” Curran added.
Curran’s comments about the team not letting Gronk train the way he wanted to train could have been a direct reference to the Patriots deciding to ban Tom Brady’s personal trainer, Alex Guerrero, in the middle of the season. Many in the Patriots organization felt that Guerrero, who was not an official team employee, was going over the heads of the actual Patriots training staff.
Putting together his financial stability, injury history and other niggling personal matters, there was certainly credence to the possibility of Gronkowski retiring.
On the other hand, Gronkowski also had plenty of reason to make a decision to return in 2018.
Gronkowski’s superstar quarterback, Tom Brady, will return despite the fact he’ll be a ripe sports age of 41 at the start of the new year. From all indications, Gronkowksi’s legendary head coach, Bill Belichick, will also return to the team next year.
But most importantly of all, Gronkowski can still play. Last season, he caught 69 passes for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns. Those would be great numbers for a pure receiver, let alone a tight end. It’s exceedingly rare for a football player under the age of 30 to suddenly walk away from the game when they’re as effective as Gronkowski is.
Also, being 28 years old, even if Gronkowksi played for another year or two, he’d still have plenty of his physical prime left to pursue a career in acting or as a wrestler.
From all indications, it seems like Gronkowksi will be returning for his ninth NFL season. However, absolutely nobody should be surprised if Gronkowski abruptly walks away the instant Brady and Belichick are no longer in Foxborough.
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