New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement from the game of football on Sunday, ending a short—but outstanding—career in the NFL.

No one knows just how good Gronkowski was better than the New York Jets, who had been on the receiving end of Gronk's greatness two times a year since he entered the league back in 2010.

So, as you can imagine, the Jets are pretty relieved that they won't have to deal with him anymore, even if they respect his game in general:

Article Continues Below
More New York Jets News
Detroit Lions pass game coordinator Tanner Engstrand watches practice at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025.
New Jets OC Tanner Engstrand gives 5 keys offense is ‘shooting for’Ben Strauss ·
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (2) warms up before an AFC wild card game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
‘Great’ take by Jets’ Justin Fields will have Bears, Steelers fans raising eyebrowsDouglas Fritz ·
jets, Arian Smith
1 New York Jets rookie who stood out most in 2025 minicamp’Garrett Kerman ·
Allen Lazard New York Jets
Jets’ Allen Lazard reveals engagement amid Steelers rumorsAutumn Hawkins ·
Dec 1, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (2) runs with the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half at Paycor Stadium.
Jets rumors: Will New York push Justin Fields in Jalen Hurts’ footsteps?Ben Strauss ·
New York Jets general manager Darren Mougey speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center.
Jets rumors: New York predicted to go on ‘late summer spending spree’Ben Strauss ·

“Look it, it’s obviously good news for the Jets because he’s an amazing player,” said Jets CEO Christopher Johnson, according Brian Costello of The New York Post. “To take a step back, I’m going to miss him as a player because he’s absolutely magnificent. If you ever play the game like I do of if I could steal that player off that team, he’s one of the top players I’ve always wished was a Jet. Just an extraordinary man and extraordinary player.”

At just 29 years of age, you would think Gronkowski would have a lot of years left, but the fact of the matter is that the five-time Pro Bowler has been riddled with injuries for most of his career, and this past season, you could tell that all of the health issues were taking their toll.

Gronkowski hauled in 47 receptions for 682 yards and three touchdowns in 2018, and while that is certainly a fine stat line, it is far from the types of numbers that the Amherst, N.Y. native posted during his prime.