Rob Grownkowski Announces Retirement After Nine Seasons

Rob Grownkowski announced his retirement from the NFL via an Instagram post on Sunday. After nine seasons with the New England Patriots, he is putting an end to a career in which he transcended the tight end position and was one of the league’s most colorful personalities.

 

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It all started at 20 years old on stage at the NFL draft when my dream came true, and now here I am about to turn 30 in a few months with a decision I feel is the biggest of my life so far. I will be retiring from the game of football today. I am so grateful for the opportunity that Mr. Kraft and Coach Belichick gave to me when drafting my silliness in 2010. My life experiences over the last 9 years have been amazing both on and off the field. The people I have meet, the relationships I have built, the championships I have been apart of, I just want to thank the whole New England Patriots organization for every opportunity I have been giving and learning the great values of life that I can apply to mine. Thank you to all of Pats Nation around the world for the incredible support since I have been apart of this 1st class organization. Thank you for everyone accepting who I am and the dedication I have put into my work to be the best player I could be. But now its time to move forward and move forward with a big smile knowing that the New England Patriots Organization, Pats Nation, and all my fans will be truly a big part of my heart for rest of my life. It was truly an incredible honor to play for such a great established organization and able to come in to continue and contribute to keep building success. To all my current and past teammates, thank you for making each team every year special to be apart of. I will truly miss you guys. Cheers to all who have been part of this journey, cheers to the past for the incredible memories, and a HUGE cheers to the uncertain of whats next.

A post shared by Rob Gronkowski (@gronk) on Mar 24, 2019 at 2:53pm PDT

Gronkowski’s 79 touchdown receptions since he joined the Patriots as a second-round draft choice in 2010 led the NFL. He had 10 or more touchdown receptions in five seasons, which is the most by a tight end in NFL history.

In all, Gronkowski played in 115 regular-season games, totaling 521 receptions for 7,861 yards. He also played in 16 playoff games, with 81 receptions for 1,163 yards and 12 touchdowns — all records for a tight end.

From here on out, Gronkowski will enjoy an eternal spot as one of the league’s all-time greats, a three-time Super Bowl champion and an unforgettable cog in New England’s championship machine.