New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has been one of the top superstars in the NFL for years, but his time has come and gone. According to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter, Gronkowski has announced his retirement.

Gronkowski has been rumored to be considering retirement for a couple years now, but it is finally official. He will end his career on a Super Bowl win after the Patriots knocked off the Los Angeles Rams 13-3.

With this news, Gronkowski will end his career as one of the best tight ends to ever play the game. He caught 521 passes for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns. Those numbers prove why he has been one of the most feared offensive players in the entire NFL.

Standing in at 6-foot-6 and nearly 270 pounds, Gronkowski was able to force mismatches each and every week. Replacing him will be a very difficult task for Bill Belichick and the Patriots.

New England will never forget the impact that Gronkowski made throughout his career. The Patriots will likely retire his number at some point in the future.

All of that being said, big congratulations go out to Gronkowski for an amazing career. He had huge success with the Patriots and helped lead them to pure dominance. The Patriots and their fans will miss him dearly.

Last season, Gronkowski showed signs of slowing down and wear and tear. He caught 47 passes for 682 yards and three touchdowns.

It will be even more interesting to see what the next chapter holds for Gronkowski. Perhaps he will try his hand at acting.