New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has reported to training camp in lieu of holding out as his reworked deal still hasn’t been finalized. But as it turns out, the thought of holding out didn’t really cross Gronk’s mind.

Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network:

Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski, who took the field today without a reworked contract, was asked if he considered holding out: “No. Haven’t come close to considering that. No even one bit. What I can do is keep preparing, keep showing up every day. Keep doing what I got to do.”

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It’s been quite an interesting offseason for Gronk. He declined to commit to playing in 2018 for the longest time as he contemplated retirement, and also sat out voluntary offseason workouts. As a result, the Patriots reportedly explored potential trades for him. But he has since committed for another season and has expressed his excitement to get back onto the field.

Of course, there’s still the not-so-small matter of his reworked contract that still has to be ironed out. But still, it’s a promising sign of Gronk’s commitment to the cause that despite the absence of his new deal, he’s ready to get to work in training camp.

Having a healthy and motivated Rob Gronkowski is terrific news for the Patriots. At his best, Gronk is the most dominant tight end in the entire league. The Patriots should once again be among the top Super Bowl contenders in the league as long as he’s around.