Gronkowski’s Dent on the NFL

By Maya Abuelbasher

Robert ‘Gronk’ Gronkowski, a powerhouse tight end for the New England Patriots, announced his retirement from football on March 24, 2019 in an Instagram post after a career full of accomplishments and struggles.

Since the end of the 2017 season, when the Patriots lost Super Bowl 52 to the Philadelphia Eagles, Gronk has been rumored to be considering retirement.

Throughout his career, he has faced a variety of injuries that have led to him missing 29 of 144 career games.

When asked whether he would return for the 2019 season after the Super Bowl victory in February, he said, “I’ve got to do that sit-down. About two weeks after, then I’ll know.”

Gronk has built an elite career for himself since he’d been drafted in the second round in 2010. The five-time Pro Bowler with four-time First Team All-Pro honors sits at the pinnacle of tight end history. Gronk holds position records for the most receiving yards (1,163), post-season receiving touchdowns (12), and Super Bowl position records with 23 receptions mounting up to 297 receiving yards.

While Gronk’s career hasn’t been as sustained as most Hall of Famers, his staggering football feats in the time he was on the field make him a strong contender for the Hall of Fame on his first year of eligibility.

“Rob will leave an indelible mark on the Patriots organization and the game as among the best, most complete players at his position to ever play,” said Belichick.

Along with his unbelievable career accomplishments, Gronk was even more popularized for his huge personality. Gronk had a constant goofy, fun-loving energy that teammates and fans experienced alike.

Everyone would remember Gronk as nothing short of boisterous, and it would be hard to forget his personality after he dented the Super Bowl 53 Lombardi while he hit Edelman’s practice pitch at the Red Sox home opener with the glorified trophy.

As for Gronk post-football, he isn’t sure what the future will hold for him just yet. He has shown interest in entertainment. Whether that would entail re-encountering football in his life again or not, no one knows, but it is clear that we’ll be seeing more of him in the future.

The Patriots have a huge blocking power to compensate before the next season begins and after Dwayne Allen was released by the Patriots earlier in the off-season, there is no clear replacement for Gronk.

However, the Brady-Belichick era of football has proven success after loss and it is likely that the Patriots will find a way to remain dominant with one of the most dominant of them all continuing on in life.