Gronk announces retirement again

Rob Gronkowski is calling it a career — again.

The four-time Super Bowl champ is retiring for the second time in his prolific career, he announced Tuesday in an Instagram post.

“In college, I was asked to write about a dream job opportunity that I wanted to pursue and where the location would be. Every time I had to write about my future, no matter what, I picked being a professional football player,” Gronkowski wrote. “For that assignment though, we had to pick the location. So I wrote that I wanted to play in Tampa for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for many reasons, the sunny weather being #1. I completely forgot about writing this report until 2 years ago when I had the opportunity to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And let me tell ya, the journey in Tampa over the last 2 years has blown away what I originally wrote about in college, big time.”

Gronkowski, 33, went on to thank the organization for “an amazing ride, trusting me to come back to play and help build a championship team.”

“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,” he continued. “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. … Cheers to what’s next, maybe sailing the seas Arghhhhhh!!”

Though Gronkowski’s status for the 2022 season had been up in the air, the Buccaneers had said they would welcome him back to the team. And, should Tom Brady once again call for Gronkowski, the tight end’s agent believes he could come out of retirement again.

“It would not surprise me if Tom Brady calls him during the season to come back and Rob answers the call. This is just my opinion but I wouldn’t be surprised if Rob comes back during the season or next season,” Drew Rosenhaus told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Gronkowski spent the first nine seasons of his NFL career with the Patriots, appearing in five Super Bowls and winning three, before announcing in March 2019 that he’d be stepping away from the game. He came out of retirement a year later to rejoin his former New England teammate Brady with Tampa Bay.

The five-time Pro Bowler spent the final two seasons of his playing career with the Buccaneers, winning another Super Bowl ring in February 2021.