Gronk confirms return to Patriots for season

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is committed to playing the 2018 NFL season, he announced Tuesday on social media.

The announcement ends speculation that Gronkowski, 28, could retire.

“I met with coach today and informed him I will be back for the 2018 season with the Pats,” Gronkowski wrote on Instagram. “I have been working out, staying in shape and feel great. Looking forward to another championship run.”

Gronkowski, who hasn’t played a full season since 2011, caught 69 passes for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns last fall to earn All-Pro honors. He added 16 catches and three touchdowns in three postseason games.

Gronkowski, who has undergone three back surgeries as well as procedures on his knee and forearm, was absent for the start of New England’s offseason program last week amid speculation he was unhappy with the Patriots organization over training and recuperation programs.

The Patriots’ 2010 second-round draft out of the University of Arizona, Gronkowski is a five-time Pro Bowl performer and a four-time All-Pro. In 102 career games, he has 474 receptions for 7,479 yards and 76 touchdowns. Last season marked the fourth time he topped 1,000 receiving yards.

In other news, New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur maintains that wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will be part of the team next season.

Shurmur said during his pre-draft press conference that Beckham “absolutely” will be with the Giants in 2018. Reports last month had New York shopping the talented wide receiver in trade talks, with owner John Mara not ruling out the possibility of a trade entirely.

“We constantly communicate, we had a great conversation yesterday,” Shurmur said of Beckham. “He came in and we sat down as we were getting ready for this minicamp so we could talk about what we were trying to get accomplished. We’ve spoken on the phone, we text, it’s just like any relationship. We’re very honest and open with one another and we communicate frequently.”

Also, Dez Bryant is done in Dallas, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday, ruling out any chance of the team re-signing the Pro Bowl wide receiver, who became a free agent after the team cut him on April 13.

“We need to move on knowing that we don’t have Dez,” Jones said in a news conference two days before the beginning of the NFL draft.

The Cowboys’ split with Bryant came as little surprise, as he clashed with the front office and some people on head coach Jason Garrett’s staff, The Dallas Morning News noted.

Cutting Bryant saves the team $8.5 million against the salary cap. In 2015, Bryant signed a contract extension worth $70 million, and he was due to make $12.5 million this season.

Bryant played in all 16 games last season, but he appeared to lack chemistry with second-year quarterback Dak Prescott. Bryant’s average yards per reception was a career-worst 12.1, and his 69 receptions were well below his peak years of 92, 2012-2014