Tight end Rob Gronkowski will not attend the beginning of the Patriots’ offseason workout program on Monday and is still contemplating whether to play in 2018, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Gronkowski has reportedly been considering retirement this offseason, and has also been mentioned as a trade candidate. New England no longer appears open to dealing Gronkowski after shipping wideout Brandin Cooks to the Rams, but reports on the status of Gronkowski’s career have been all over the map.
Gronkowski has been working out at Tom Brady‘s Sports Therapy Center, but even that has been rife with controversy. Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald recently reported that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick chastised Gronk in front of other players for working out at the Alex Guererro-headed facility.
Belichick and Gronkowski’s relationship appears to be at a low point, as Jeff Darlington of ESPN.com recently reported the Patriots head coach may not believe Gronkowski is “all in” at this juncture. Gronkowski, for his part, is reportedly frustrated with Belichick and others in the New England organization, and is put off by the club’s “high-strung” culture. Those differences, per Darlington, aren’t believed to be irreconcilable.
Gronkowski, of course, is still a dominant player when healthy. In 2017, Gronk was on the field for 14 games, and managed 69 receptions, 1,084 yards, and eight touchdowns, all of which placed him within the top-five among tight ends. He’s signed through the 2019 campaign, with base salaries of $8MM and $9MM over the next two respective seasons.
I’ll believe this when the words come out of his mouth.
And he’ll be in a WWE wrestling ring
Will he be billed as “The Gronkinator”?
The world needs ditch diggers too.
WTF is that even supposed to mean?
Haven’t you watched Caddy Shack?
Welcome to the Cowboys or Texans Gronk. Texas teams will welcome with open arms and a lot better Head Coach
Really? Cowboys and/or Texans have coaches that are better than Belichick? Feel free to enlighten us all…
Dear Astros fan, the cowgirls coach better than Bill? Really!
OBrien is ok, but again not better than Mr. B.
You’re daydreaming.
One goes yr to yr on his contract and the owner/GM is a nut case sorry maybe be a good person but doesn’t mean he’s not crazy and the other coach is a BB product and none of the have as good as a qb as tom
Do you honestly believe Tom will play to 45? I’ll bet this is his last year. Then what will it be like to play for the Pats? Bill might retire himself so then you’d have Benedict McDaniels as your HC with no real QB. Fun times are ahead.
If he is thinking about retirement, then he should just do it. If the word even enters your mind in a sport like football, just do it.
It’s not as easy as that. For some of these guys football has been an all consuming part of their lives since Pop Warner League days. Athletes are wired to have a strong competitive drive and test their personal limits. They aren’t going to be challenged selling used cars or filing insurance claims in retirement. It’s a tough adjustment for many to start a whole lifestyle change before they are even 40.
He’s made enough money to where he wouldn’t have to change his lifestyle.
The money is nice to have but the psychological adjustment can still be very hard. Junior Seau was a well played all-pro but he couldn’t make the adjustment after retiring from football.
Seau had so many concussions his brain was messed up. I know Gronk has has a few, but his were from being hit, Seau used his head like a batter ting ram.
As long as it’s not like Favre I don’t say and once that’s it and truthfully he hasn’t said it yet
Honest question here. I’m not a Pats fan, so I don’t follow them closely, butI’ve been seeing a lot of references to players not getting along with Belichick lately. Is this the norm or something new?
The phenomena of targeting the top team and trying to discredit it in some fashion is certainly not new. George Halas had critics, Lombardi was blamed like Belichick for being too tough with his players. Tom Landry was said to be too much of a system coach and out of touch with current trends. I’m sure there are other examples as well but you get the idea.
It’s new but a lot of players don’t agree with but they normally keep it behind close doors
Gronk has his hands in all types of projects. If he retired, he could still make a killing because of the market he created for himself.