New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement from the game of football on Sunday, ending a short—but illustrious—10-year career in the NFL.
As for what's next for the five-time Pro Bowler? Not even Gronkowski knows for sure right now, as he said through his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, that he just wants to relax at the moment:
“It’s time,” Gronkowski said through Rosenhaus, per Peter King of NBC Sports. “I just won another championship. I’m going out on top. I just want to do nothing for a while. I just want to be me. I just want to have fun.”
You can certainly see why Gronkowski would just want to take a deep breath and chill for now, because his NFL career was hardly a cakewalk.
Yes, Gronk posted big numbers and was named a First-Team All-Pro four times in addition to all of his Pro Bowl selections, but he had to fight through a myriad of injuries for much of his career.
That's why he is stepping away from the game in spite of being just 29 years old, as injuries have clearly taken their toll. That was very evident this past season, when Gronkowski looked like a mere shell of himself.
He still hauled in 47 receptions for 682 yards and three touchdowns and played a pivotal role in the Patriots' Super Bowl run, but he is not even close to the force he once was.
Gronkowski, who played his collegiate football at the University of Arizona, was originally selected by New England in the second round (42nd pick overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft.
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