Rob Gronkowski never caught passes in the NFL from anyone other Tom Brady — with the exception of a few games when Brady served his Deflategate suspension. When Brady defected for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Gronk came out of retirement to join his quarterback.
They are a dynamic duo — a pair that seemed made for each other. And so that’s what makes Brady’s comments on social media so touching after Gronk announced his retirement on Tuesday.
“Teammate, friend, brother, just a few of the words that come to mind when I think of @gronk. 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. 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, you deserve it.”
Gronkowski played with the Patriots from 2010 to 2018 when he racked up 521 catches, 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns. He spent a year in retirement in 2019 but returned for two more seasons to play with the Buccaneers when he managed another 100 catches for 1,425 yards and 13 touchdowns.
