The retirement of New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski may have shocked the NFL world, but one thing is sure in the aftermath, and it's that there will likely never be another player like Gronkowski, at least according to Josh McDaniels.

In a statement released by the Patriots offensive coordinator after the Gronkowski announcement via 247 Sports, McDaniels praised Gronk as the “ideal football player” and mentioned that there would never be another player like him.

“I consider myself lucky to have had the pleasure of coaching Rob Gronkowski,” McDaniels said. “From the day I met him, he has been authentic, real and genuine. His love for life made every day more fun for the people around him. He was the ideal football player – tough, smart, competitive and always played his best under pressure.”

“You always felt you had a chance to win with Rob on the field; he had that kind of impact on the game. He is one of the very few players who could control the game offensively in the pass and run game, and he thoroughly enjoyed being great in both areas. His positive attitude, incredible energy and pure selflessness made him an absolute joy and pleasure to coach.”

McDaniels goes on to say that the team will miss his contributions to the field, but they will miss him more as a teammate.

Of course, Gronkowski was a huge part of the Patriots offense, acting as both an incredible pass-catching tight end while also being able to line up and deliver devastating blocks in the running and passing game.

As the Patriots begin to prepare for life after Gronk, it’ll be very interesting to see how they approach replacing the Hall of Fame tight end.