Rob Gronkowski to officially retire as a Patriot

Feb 1, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft celebrates (left) celebrates with tight end Rob Gronkowski after beating the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Rob Gronkowski will sign a one-day contract with the Patriots to officially retire with the team that drafted him, the legendary tight end announced on FOX NFL Sunday. New England later confirmed the news on Monday morning, citing that a livestream will be held at 12:15 p.m. EST on Wednesday to commemorate Gronkowski’s retirement.

Gronkowski broke the news in front of many Patriots fans in Tampa Bay before he shared his game pick ahead of what became the Patriots’ 28-23 win over the Buccaneers. Tom Brady, who joined the studio show remotely, even caught a jab from his former tight end.

“I am signing a one-day contract with the Patriots this week, coming up to retire as a Patriot and be a Patriot for life, just like all of you out here,” Gronkowski said. “So I'm going with the Patriots, but I know Tom, and he is still bitter the Patriots let him go for his final three seasons in the NFL, so he's secretly rooting for the Buccaneers.”

Brady was quick to fire back at Gronkowski.

“Hey, I got great friends on both sides,” Brady said. “I'm not saying who I'm rooting for. I'm not really rooting for one or the other, but one team built me a statue, so the ball is in your court, Tampa.”

Loading Tweet...

Gronkowski last played for the Patriots in 2018, helping them secure their sixth and final Super Bowl of the franchise’s nearly two-decade dynasty. The Arizona alum retired ahead of the 2019 season before he was traded in 2020 to Tampa Bay, where he joined Brady to win Super Bowl LV before ending his playing career in 2021. Gronkowski started broadcasting on FOX in 2019, resuming his role in 2022 during his second retirement.

Now he’ll officially end his historic playing career as a Patriot.

Gronkowski’s 107 receiving touchdowns are the third-most by a tight end in NFL history, 11 short of Antonio Gates’ all-time 118 receiving touchdown mark. The four-time Super Bowl winner and Zach Ertz, who is 10th on the list, are the only tight ends inside the top 10 with under 200 games played in their career. Travis Kelce is quickly approaching Gronkowski, needing seven more receiving touchdowns to pass the Patriots legend.