Tag: Gronkowski

Rob Gronkowski to sign 1-day contract, retire as a Patriot

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Carrying out the wish of a friend who died of cancer earlier this month, former four-time All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski will retire as a New England Patriot on Wednesday when he signs a ceremonial one-day contract.

Gronkowski, 36, who won three Super Bowls during his nine seasons with the Patriots, made the announcement on Sunday on Fox, where he now serves as an analyst.

The five-time Pro Bowl selection, who still lives in Foxborough, Mass., where the Patriots play their home games, won a fourth Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.

Through his charity work in New England, Gronkowski developed a friendship with local philanthropist Susan Hurley, whom he said inspired him to build a new playground in Boston. At the unveiling in August, Hurley asked, “Can we just make it official and sign him for a day so he can retire as a Patriot?”

“I like that a lot, and the reason that we’re really going to do that is because of Susan Hurley,” Gronkowski said about Patriots owner Robert Kraft supporting Hurley’s proposition.

Hurley, 62, died on Nov. 1 of ovarian cancer.

Gronkowski, a member of the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, had 621 receptions for 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns in 143 games (128 starts) over his 11-year career with New England (2010-18) and Tampa Bay (2020-21). In 22 playoff games, he amassed 98 catches for 1,389 yards and 15 touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Feb 6, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Fox Sports NFL Studio analyst Rob Gronkowski during a Fox Sports media party in advance of Super Bowl LIX at Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Rob Gronkowski to replace retired Jimmy Johnson on Fox pregame show

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Fox Sports confirmed Friday that retired All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski will become a full-time member of the “Fox NFL Sunday” crew, replacing Super Bowl-winning coach Jimmy Johnson.

Johnson, 82, announced his retirement in March. Gronkowski previously made guest appearances on the pregame show.

The 36-year-old Gronkowski won four Super Bowl rings, three with the New England Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On the Fox show, he will join host Curt Menefee and Pro Football Hall of Fame members Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and Michael Strahan. NFL insider Jay Glazer also returns.

The show is entering its 32nd season. Bradshaw and Long are original members of the group.

Fox also announced Friday that its No. 1 broadcast team — play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt, analyst Tom Brady and sideline reporters Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi — will have the Week 1 call on Sept. 7 of the game between the Washington Commanders and New York Giants.

The following week, they will be in Kansas City for the Super Bowl LIX rematch between the Chiefs and champion Philadelphia Eagles.

–Field Level Media

Feb 6, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Fox Sports NFL Studio analyst Rob Gronkowski during a Fox Sports media party in advance of Super Bowl LIX at Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Report: Rob Gronkowski, 35, eyeing return to NFL

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Tight end Rob Gronkowski may be interested in coming out of retirement once again, according to a report by DenverSports.com on Tuesday.

Gronkowski spent nine years with the New England Patriots prior to retiring after the 2018 season — only to come back and play two more years with Tom Brady when the quarterback went to Tampa Bay.

A five-time Pro Bowler, four-time All-Pro selection and four-time Super Bowl champion (three with the Patriots, one with the Buccaneers), Gronkowski will turn 36 in May.

The DenverSports.com report indicated Gronkowski may be interested in joining the Denver Broncos, where his brothers Chris and Dan Gronkowski had brief stays during their playing careers.

Rob Gronkowski currently works as an NFL analyst for Fox and overlapped there for one year with Sean Payton, now the head coach in Denver.

Gronkowski had 621 receptions for 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns in 143 games (128 starts) over his 11-year career in New England (2010-18) and Tampa Bay (2020-21). He never finished with fewer than 540 yards in a season despite missing large parts of the 2013 and 2016 campaigns due to injury.

–Field Level Media

Oct 29, 2022; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Former Arizona Wildcats and NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski looks on during the first half of the game between the Arizona Wildcats and the USC Trojans at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Todd Bowles says Rob Gronkowski reached out to Bucs

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles confirmed that retired tight end Rob Gronkowski recently reached out to the team about possibly returning for a playoff push.

Bowles told the Tampa Bay Times that nothing serious came of the call.

“It was more of a conversation than anything else,” Bowles said. “Usually, when you have to think about playing, you probably don’t want to play. When it’s just a discussion, I didn’t think much of it at the time.”

Gronkowski, 33, who retired for the second time in June, sparked social media interest Wednesday by tweeting three words: “I’m kinda bored.”

Under Gronkowski’s longtime quarterback Tom Brady, the Buccaneers (6-8) still lead the NFC South by one game heading into Sunday night’s road game against the Arizona Cardinals (4-10).

A four-time Super Bowl champion and five-time Pro Bowl selection, Gronkowski caught 621 passes for 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns in 143 games for the New England Patriots (2010-18) and Bucs (2020-21). He sat out the 2019 season in his first retirement.

–Field Level Media

Jan 16, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) scores a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half in a NFC Wild Card playoff football game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Bucs don’t expect Rob Gronkowski to unretire

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers think retired tight end Rob Gronkowski is done with football, ESPN reported Sunday.

Unlike longtime teammate Tom Brady, who is back for a 23rd season after a brief retirement, Gronkowski is not expected to return — not even for a late playoff push.

“The Buccaneers believe that Gronkowski has moved on with his life,” read the ESPN report.

Gronkowski, 33, announced his retirement in June after an 11-year NFL career that included four Super Bowl wins and five Pro Bowl selections.

He spent the first nine seasons of his career with Brady and the New England Patriots (2010-18) before spending two seasons with the Buccaneers (2020-21). He sat out the 2019 season during his first retirement.

In 143 games (128 starts), Gronkowski had 621 receptions for 9,286 yards. He has the third-most touchdowns scored by a tight end in NFL history with 92.

–Field Level Media

Jan 23, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) runs the ball against Los Angeles Rams cornerback Darious Williams (11) during the second half in a NFC Divisional playoff football game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

Rob Gronkowski’s girlfriend not so sure he’ll stay retired

Posted on | by Field Level Media

After Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement for the second time, his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told ESPN that a return wasn’t out of the question.

Some else in Gronkowski’s orbit isn’t so sure the former tight end is done for good, either.

Camille Kostek, Gronkowski’s girlfriend, said in comments published Monday that she felt as if Gronkowski’s announcement didn’t mean he was walking away from the game forever.

“I think maybe he’ll come back again,” Kostek said prior to the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Runway Show over the weekend. “I feel like him and Tom (Brady) are just having fun, like, ‘retired, not retired, retired, not retired.”’

Gronkowski announced his latest retirement in June over social media. He previously retired after the 2018 season, but came back to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 after Brady urged him to make a return.

The former second-round pick is a four-time Super Bowl champion and a five-time Pro Bowl selection. He spent the first nine seasons of his career with the New England Patriots before spending two seasons with the Buccaneers.

In 143 career games (128 starts), Gronkowski has 621 receptions for 9,286 yards. He has the third-most touchdowns for a tight end in NFL history with 92.

–Field Level Media

Jan 23, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) runs the ball against Los Angeles Rams cornerback Darious Williams (11) during the second half in a NFC Divisional playoff football game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

Buccaneers TE Rob Gronkowski pondering future

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Rob Gronkowski is pondering whether to continue his playing career or to retire for a second time.

The Tampa Bay tight end said he will see how he feels in a few weeks before deciding whether or not to play for the Buccaneers in 2022.

Gronkowski said his decision will not be reliant on the one quarterback Tom Brady faces. Brady also is considering retirement.

“I’m really going to basically do what’s best for myself in terms of the football world,” Gronkowski said Monday, one day after the Buccaneers ended their season with a 30-27 postseason loss to the Los Angeles Rams. “It’s going to be a decision based upon of where I’m at in a couple weeks.”

Gronkowski, 32, retired once before, walking away from the New England Patriots following the 2018 season. He returned in 2020 after Brady left the Patriots as a free agent and signed with the Buccaneers.

This season, Gronkowski caught 55 passes for 802 yards and six touchdowns. He had four catches for 85 yards in Sunday’s loss to the Rams

Overall, Gronkowski is a five-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time Super Bowl champion. He won three titles during nine seasons with New England (2018-20) and the other during his first season with Tampa Bay.

Gronkowski has 621 career receptions for 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns in 143 regular-season games. In 22 postseason games, Gronkowski has 98 receptions for 1,389 yards and 15 scores.

–Field Level Media

Oct 14, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown (81) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Bucs’ Antonio Brown out, Rob Gronkowski questionable vs. Giants

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown has been ruled out for Monday night’s home game against the New York Giants.

Brown hasn’t played since sustaining an ankle injury in Tampa Bay’s 28-22 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 14.

While Brown has been ruled out, coach Bruce Arians said Saturday that the “arrow’s trending up” for tight end Rob Gronkowski as well as cornerback Sean-Murphy Bunting.

Gronkowski missed last week’s 29-19 loss to the Washington Football Team after sustaining a back injury in the Buccaneers’ 36-27 setback to the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 31. He’s officially listed as questionable.

Gronkowski, 32, has 16 catches for 184 yards with four touchdowns in four games this season for the Bucs (6-3).

Murphy-Bunting, 24, remains on injured reserve after sustaining a dislocated elbow in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys.

Brown, 33, has 29 receptions for 418 yards and four touchdowns in five games this season.

–Field Level Media

Oct 14, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown (81) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

No timetable for WR Antonio Brown’s (ankle) return

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Tampa Bay wide receiver Antonio Brown made an appearance at practice Wednesday on a crutch and coach Bruce Arians said there is no timetable for his return from an ankle sprain.

Arians said the sprain is near Brown’s heel. He was asked if Brown might be able to return after the team’s bye in Week 9.

“Could be after the bye (Nov. 14) or could be a long time,” Arians said. “It’s wait and see.”

However, tight end Rob Gronkowski was back on the practice field in pads amid reports he’ll be ready to play this Sunday. Gronkowski has missed the past four weeks with cracked ribs and a punctured lung. He has 16 catches for 184 yards and four TDs.

Brown missed last Sunday’s game against Chicago after sustaining the injury during the Buccaneers’ victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 14.

Brown has 29 receptions for 418 yards and four touchdowns.

Also back at practice Wednesday were linebacker Lavonte David (ankle) and Richard Sherman (hamstring). The pair also missed last week’s game.

The Bucs (6-1) play at New Orleans (4-2) on Sunday.

–Field Level Media

Oct 10, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown (81) celebrates as he catches the ball during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Short-handed Bucs rule out four starters for Sunday

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ruled out tight end Rob Gronkowski, wide receiver Antonio Brown, linebacker Lavonte David and cornerback Richard Sherman for Sunday’s game.

Head coach Bruce Arians confirmed Friday that all four injured starters will be absent when the Bucs (5-1) host the Chicago Bears (3-3).

Brown (ankle), David (ankle) and Sherman (hamstring) were all injured in Tampa Bay’s 28-22 win in Philadelphia on Oct. 14. Gronkowski (ribs) has not played since Week 3.

Brown has 29 receptions for 418 yards and a team high-tying four touchdown catches in five games.

Gronkowski has 16 catches for 184 yards and four touchdowns in three games.

David has 34 tackles and one sack in five games.

Sherman made his Bucs debut against New England on Oct. 3. He has 11 tackles and one fumble recovery in three games.

–Field Level Media