For years, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was the absolute best tight end in all of football.
And even though he didn’t retire as a Patriot, he’ll always be tied to that organization.
That’s why the fans will love to hear that he intends to sign a one-day contract with the franchise to retire in Foxboro.
“I like [the plan of retiring as a Patriot] a lot. The reason why we’re really going to do that is because of Susan Hurley. She wants to see that happen. We’re gonna make it happen in the future and it’s gonna be a special moment. Come back for a day, a weekend, whatever it is. It’s gonna happen. We just don’t know when,” Gronkowski said.
Rob Gronkowski, the greatest tight end of all time, says he plans on retiring as a member of the #Patriots.
“I like that a lot… We’re gonna make it happen in the future and it’s gonna be a special moment… It’s gonna happen. We just don’t know when.”
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(🎥 CBS Boston) pic.twitter.com/pnX3ZRpbHt
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) August 20, 2025
The future first-ballot Hall of Famer broke the news during the grand opening of his “Gronk Playground” in Boston.
Gronkowski hasn’t played in the league since 2021, and while he’s already come back once, he’s shut down rumors about another comeback multiple times.
The Patriots took him in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, and while injuries kept him on the shelf at times, he was an unstoppable force of nature in his nine years in Foxboro.
Over 115 regular-season contests with the franchise, he hauled in 79 touchdown receptions, adding 12 touchdowns in 16 playoff games.
He played a pivotal role in winning three Super Bowls, creating a deadly tandem with Tom Brady.
Gronk left the game in 2019 but came back a year later when Brady recruited him to join him in Tampa Bay, and they went on to win another Super Bowl in 2020.
All in all, he left the field with 719 catches for 10,675 yards and 107 touchdowns, four Super Bowl rings, four First Team All-Pro selections, and five Pro Bowl selections.
It was only right that he walked away from the game in the place where he became a legend.
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