Gronk: Is he really done?

Rob Gronkowski was one of the best and most popular NFL players in the league. In addition to being a very talented football player, he had a very extraverted and entertaining personality that resonated very well with fans of the NFL. Recently, Rob Gronkowski, better known as “Gronk” retired from the NFL after playing 9 seasons for the New England Patriots, the team that drafted him in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Although only playing 9 seasons and retiring before the age of 30, Gronk is considered by the vast majority of the football world to be one of the greatest tight ends of all time.

This all begs the question, just because Gronk retired, is he really going to stay retired? We have seen professional athletes retire and then come back. Most notably Brett Favre came out of retirement… twice. Even Marshawn Lynch retired early and came back. He is still currently in the league playing for the Oakland Raiders. Could Gronk make a comeback and what does this mean for the sports world?

Gronk retiring before the age of 30 has to come with several reasons. First of all, he played a brutal position, tight end. You have to block, run full speed and take hits. At 6’6 and 270 pounds, this takes a toll on your body. He has sustained multiple injuries over his career including head injuries, which can cause more problems down the road in life. Gronk has already won 3 Superbowl championships with the New England Patriots and is considered one of the greatest tight ends ever. So he definitely feels satisfied with what he has accomplished in his career, and it may not be worth it to put his body through more physical duration to achieve more. Gronk loves to have fun off the field too, attending a lot of social events and partying. So Gronk will definitely enjoy being retired.

Could Gronk come out of retirement and rejoin the New England Patriots? I definitely think so. NFL players tend to not give up on their training regimen right away. Gronk is still going to work out and be in shape because when you eat like a tight end all those years and stop training like one, your body is going to really fall off track. Although the New England Patriots are reigning Superbowl champions, they have an aging core including Tom Brady. Although Brady is the greatest quarterback ever and can still compete with the best, he is declining at 41 years old. I could definitely see a situation where the Patriots have a record of 3-3 after week 6 or even 4-3 after week 7, Brady could call Gronk and say “I need you one more time”. Coach Bill Belichick would be happy to have Gronk back. Gronk has extensive loyalty to the New England Patriots organization. Gronk even admitted in an interview that he threatened to retire when rumours of him being traded to the Detroit Lions was a possibility. “I wasn’t going anywhere; Brady is my quarterback”.

Gronk is a very popular athlete among millennials. If he announced a return, social media would explode. Gronk would be the most popular trend on Instagram and Twitter with all the excitement around him. Barstool Sports, a popular sports blog targeted at millennials is run by mostly Patriots fans. They have successfully launched apparel that has timed up perfectly with recent sporting events that have social buzz. For example, they released a line of Patriots clothing when they won the Superbowl and the clothing related to how they were doubted. If Gronk returned, I guarantee Barstool would do something like this to drive more social media engagement and open up a new stream of revenue for the company. Gronk’s return could also be well marketed by his personal team to relaunch his personal brand and heighten TV ratings, especially if it is a primetime game.

So is Gronk really done? For now, yes. But don’t be too surprised if he came back.

For more information on Rob Gronkowski's career, visit https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/rob-gronkowski-set-to-retire-from-football-after-nine-season-with-the-patriots/ and https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GronRo00.htm