Tom Brady & More NFL Stars Pay Tribute To Rob Gronkowski Amid Retirement News

On Tuesday, Tom Brady reacted to the news that his close friend Rob Gronkowski was retiring from the NFL.

Earlier this year, Brady said that he was retiring from football, then backtracked and revealed that he was coming back for yet another season. However, it looks like Gronk is hanging up the sport for good. He posted a lengthy statement on Instagram thanking his fans, teammates, and coaches for their years of support. Shortly after, Brady took to Instagram to release a thoughtful message of his own.

Shortly after Gronk announced his retirement, Tom Brady released a statement of his own on Instagram as well.

“Teammate, friend, brother, just a few of the words that come to mind when I think of @gronk,” he wrote. “Nobody has ever embodied the idea of ‘leaving it all out on the field’ like Rob has throughout his entire career. Every single snap, I knew that no matter how many people you put in front of him, he was going to get to his spot.”

“Even more important is the person he was off the field,” Brady continued. “Focused when he had to be, and FUN the rest of the time. Having Gronk in your locker room was every NFL players dream. I’m proud of all that we’ve accomplished together, and even more excited for all you have ahead of you.”

“Congrats Gronk,” he concluded. “You deserve it.”

ESPN commented on his legendary career, noting that he was a four-time Super Bowl champion and celebrating his plethora of other accomplishments.

In 2021, Gronk had helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers claim victory at the Super Bowl. They tweeted out a simple message, saying, "Thanks for everything, @RobGronkowski 🙏"

General manager Jason Licht also released a statement of his own on social media after his retirement news.

“Rob is a true professional who left it all on the field for us the past two seasons and helped establish a championship culture in our building,” he wrote. “He played a crucial part in our Super Bowl LV championship season in 2020 and battled through a number of injuries last year while on the way to one of the most productive receiving yardage seasons in his 11-year career.”

“It is always difficult to see a great player walk away from the game when he is still enjoying that kind of success, but the overwhelming emotions I feel today are gratitude and respect for one of the greatest tight ends who ever played the game.”

“While his on-field accomplishments will surely earn him a gold jacket and a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it is his humble attitude and team-first approach to the game that truly defined his career,” he concluded.

Kyle Van Noy, a linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers, also wished Gronk well. He tweeted, "This better be the last time I say this !! Congrats on retirement @RobGronkowski !! Much love homie."

Cade Otton, another tight-end for the Bucs, called Gronk "The best to ever do it," adding, "Thanks for making it cool to be a tight end!"

Sports broadcaster Sara Walsh also commented on his retirement, tweeting, "I truly thought we’d see @RobGronkowski one more season, but he leaves the game with 4 rings, tons of records, and too many Gronk spikes to count. The stat sheets don’t measure laughs, but we know he’d be Hall of Fame in that category too. Thanks always for the entertainment 87."