Rob Gronkowski has officially retired as a member of the New England Patriots. But if it were up to owner Robert Kraft, the all-time great tight end would be a member of the Patriots for one more game.
Kraft asked Gronkowski if he would like to turn the one-day contract he signed with the Patriots on Wednesday into a two-day deal so he could suit up for the team’s game against the New York Jets on Thursday night. Gronkowski was willing to play ball, but only under one condition.
“Sure, what’s the signing bonus?” Gronkowski asked Kraft.
“Nothing’s changed,” Kraft said with a smile.
The exchange between Gronkowski and Kraft was one of the highlights from his retirement ceremony on Wednesday. After announcing during “FOX NFL Sunday” that he would be retiring as a member of the Patriots this week, Gronkowski wanted to retire as a member of the team to fulfill the wish of a longtime friend.
Susan Hurley, a former Patriots cheerleader who was a charity partner of Gronkowski’s and worked with hundreds of area charities through her company CharityTeams, said during the opening of a “Gronk Playground” in Boston back in August that she wanted to see Gronkowski retire as a member of the Patriots. When Hurley died from cancer earlier in November, Gronkowski said honoring her request was an “absolute no-brainer.”
“The whole Gronk persona, everything about myself … was all because of the fans here in New England, was all because of my teammates accepting me and everyone else here,” Gronkowski said on Wednesday. “Just accepting who I was from the very beginning and embracing it and letting me just play the game of football out on the football field.”
Gronkowski spent the majority of his 11-year NFL career with the Patriots, winning three Super Bowls as a member of the team before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. He actually retired in 2019, but opted to come out of retirement to join Tom Brady in Tampa Bay before retiring again in 2022.
Kraft said there had been plans for Gronkowski to formally retire as a Patriot after he became eligible and was elected to the team’s hall of fame prior to Hurley’s passing.
“I’m a Patriot for life. My career started here and 100% needed to end here,” Gronkowski said after the ceremonial signing.
From the outset “Gronk” established himself as a fun-loving, touchdown-spiking presence in the Patriots locker room. His personality — on and off the field — was as big as his biceps, and he always seemed to be the life of the party.
Kraft said Gronkowski’s imprint on the franchise was immediate and lasting.
“His clutch performances were legendary, and his larger than life personality and connections with the fans has truly made him a New England icon,” Kraft said.
Gronkowski said memories from his time in New England flooded into his mind being back at team headquarters. But he said beating the Seattle Seahawks and winning his first Super Bowl ring to cap the 2014 season is his most special memory by far.
“That memory will always be with me and memories with the guys and the stories with the guys in the locker room, on the practice field. But the No. 1 memory is winning those Super Bowls, big time,” he said.
Gronkowski established himself as possibly the NFL’s greatest tight end during his 11 seasons in the league. Gronkowski’s 92 receiving touchdowns rank third all-time among tight ends. His 9,286 receiving yards are sixth among tight ends all-time.
While that will almost assuredly earn him a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, he said he’s looking forward to joining Brady in the Patriots’ hall.
But Gronkowski’s not expecting to get a statue like the quarterback.
“Tom’s one of a kind,” Gronkowski said. “If you put one, just put me in the end zone and be tiny.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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