New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement on Sunday. Even though it was a short career, he will go down as one of the best in NFL history. Five moments from this bearer of brilliance stand out above the others.
5. Gronkowski's one-handed catch against the Buffalo Bills
Gronkowski had a unique skill set — he produced a lot of impressive catches throughout his career. On December 24, 2017, against the Bills, Gronkowski hauled in a one-handed catch over Micah Hyde. Although this catch didn't come in a key moment, even Gronkowski has said this is one of his favorite catches, so it needs to be on the list.
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4. Gronkowski dominates the Pittsburgh Steelers
Gronkowski dominated a lot of teams throughout his career, but one team he seemed to crush more often was the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2017 the Patriots were going against Steelers in Week 15. A loss in the game probably would have meant the Patriots wouldn't get home-field advantage in the playoffs.
With the Patriots down by five points with under three minutes left to go in the game, Gronkowski caught three consecutive passes for 69 total yards. Dion Lewis ended up running in the touchdown, but Gronk also caught the 2-point conversion.
The Patriots went on to win the game and wrap up home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Without that impressive drive, chances are the Patriots would have had to win a game on the road to make Super Bowl LII against the Philadelphia Eagles.
3. Gronk shows off his blocking
Gronkowski was a great receiver, but one thing that might not be talked about enough is how solid Gronk was at blocking.
In November of 2014 against the Indianapolis Colts, Gronkowski blocked Sergio Brown all the way out of bounds in impressive fashion.
In true Gronkowski style, he danced all the way back to the sideline; the dancing is something that will be missed in the NFL.
2. Gronkowski's 2011 season.
This is more than just a moment, but Gronkowski's best season was in 2011, when he hauled in 90 receptions for 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns.
The most impressive game from that season was in the playoffs against Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos. He dominated the Broncos the entire game, catching 10 passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns.
It didn't seem to matter what the Broncos did to try to stop him; they had no success in getting it done. Just to see how dominant Gronkowski was, take a look at some of the highlights of the 2011 season.
1. Gronk goes out with a bang
No one knew at the Super Bowl that Gronkowski was going to retire, but there were some rumblings that it might happen. It makes sense he saved the best for last. When the Patriots needed a catch late in the game, Tom Brady looked at Gronkowski, who laid out for a catch. It set up the Patriots for a touchdown on the next play and gave the team another Super Bowl championship.
It only makes sense that Gronk's last display of impact on the NFL gave him another ring, and allowed him to dance one last time at a Super Bowl parade.
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