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Former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski made a definitive statement earlier this week about whether he will return to the NFL.
The Arizona product had a stellar career, one that included 621 catches for 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns. He was also a part of several Super Bowl teams, most recently winning one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2020 season.
There was a chance that he was going to come back last season and possibly even play for the rival Buffalo Bills. But that did not come to fruition, and he resisted the urge to come out of retirement for a second time. Now, he is certain he will be calling it quits, as he told TMZ Sports over the weekend.
“There’s no chance anymore,” said Gronkowski. “I’m happily retired. I actually picked up pickle ball. I beat my brother, Chris, who plays with pros, and my other brother, Gordon, who plays with pros, too. And I beat them with an average Joe—my other brother, Glenn G., was my partner.”
This effectively puts a bow on what was one of the most dominant careers by a tight end in NFL history. This just goes to show that all good things eventually come to an end.