Rob Gronkowksi hasn't completely closed the door on resuming his football career down the line. And if he ultimately elects to return to the NFL, the New England Patriots icon will be all the better off for his time spent away from the game.

During an appearance on HBO's The Shop, Gronkowski shed light on why he decided to retire shortly before his 30th birthday. One of the main reasons? A realization two years ago that he needed to focus on his health, including an improved diet and less partying, to “do something bigger in life” than winning the Super Bowl.

The future Hall-of-Famer announced his retirement in March. After the Patriots won the Super Bowl a few weeks earlier, he speculated on his playing future in on-field interview, confirming months of rumors that he was indeed considering hanging it up.

More recently, though, Gronkowski has publicly mused on potentially continuing his career in the future. Last week, he told reporters that he's “in good enough shape” to play football “right now,” an encouraging sign for a player who dealt with multiple significant injuries during his time with the Patriots and also suffered a back injury in college at the University of Arizona.

Gronkowski had 47 catches for 692 yards and three touchdowns last season, numbers well below his career norms when healthy. He was better when it mattered most in the playoffs, though, catching a combined 12 passes for 166 yards in the Patriots’ victories over the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs en route to another Super Bowl ring.