On Tuesday, Rob Gronkowski announced that he was retiring from the NFL.
Teammate Tom Brady said that he was retiring earlier this year, only to backtrack and reveal that he was coming back for another season. However, it looks like Gronk is officially throwing in the towel, as he officially announced his retirement on Tuesday afternoon.
Shortly after, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released a statement on social media wishing him well.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tell Rob Gronkowski ‘Thanks For Everything’
Thanks for everything, @RobGronkowski 🙏
📰: https://t.co/dllDGENjSE pic.twitter.com/oK3ObNErTP
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) June 21, 2022
Shortly after the news of his retirement broke, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tweeted, “Thanks for everything, @RobGronkowski 🙏”
“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.”
🗣: @jasonrlicht on @RobGronkowski pic.twitter.com/RWbPhHqYJa
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) June 21, 2022
General manager Jason Licht followed it up with a statement thanking him for building a “championship culture” for the team.
“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.
Tom Brady Calls Gronkowski A ‘Teammate, Friend, Brother’
Tom Brady took to Instagram shortly after Gronkowski’s announcement to praise his close friend and former teammate.
“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.”
In a lengthy statement Gronk posted to Instagram, Rob thanked his coaches, teammates, and fans for their years of support.
“In college, I was asked to write about a dream job opportunity that I wanted to pursue and where the location would be,” he began. “Every time I had to write about my future, no matter what, I picked being a professional football player.”
“For that assignment though, we had to pick the location. So I wrote that I wanted to play in Tampa for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for many reasons, the sunny weather being #1,” he continued. “I completely forgot about writing this report until 2 years ago when I had the opportunity to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And let me tell ya, the journey in Tampa over the last 2 years has blown away what I originally wrote about in college, big time.”
“And for this, I want to thank the whole entire first class Buccaneers organization for an amazing ride, trusting me to come back to play and help build a championship team,” he continued. “I will now be going back into my retirement home, walking away from football again with my head held high knowing I gave it everything I had, good or bad, every time I stepped out on the field.”
“The friendships and relationships I have made will last forever, and I appreciate every single one of my teammates and coaches for giving everything they had as well,” he continued. “From retirement, back to football and winning another championship and now back to chilling out, thank you to all. Buccaneers 🏴☠️ fans, the Krewe, without you guys, none of this is possible, all of ya brought it every game, thank you for all you do.”
Rob Gronkowski wrapped up his retirement announcement, writing, “Cheers to what’s next, maybe sailing the seas 🏴☠️ Arghhhhhh!!”
