Yesterday, the NFL lost one of the all-time greats to retirement. And I'm not just saying that so he invites me to his retirement party. Rob Gronkowski truly was a generational player, a once-in-a-lifetime talent that functioned as a top-tier wide receiver with the blocking skills of an interior lineman. He was impossible to cover, tough to bring down, and incredible to watch. I think it's only right that we all crack a PBR in Gronk's name.
Gronk was the type of guy you would love to have in your 10th grade history class. He was goofy, yet charming. I mean, who could forget when he crashed Sean Spicer's White House press briefing or uncontrollably started laughing at a "69" reference? And while most of us look at him and outwardly assume that his silly persona translates into a less-than-shrewd individual in his everyday life, it's actually quite the opposite.
It's well known that Rob Gronkowski, as of 2018, hadn't touched a dime of his career NFL salary or any of his signing bonuses Instead, he lives strictly off endorsements. While that's still enough to leave a hole in his pocket, this frugal spending is not something you would have expected from a frat-boy in pads. If anyone deserves to spend a little coin now, it's Rob.
The greatness of Gronkowski was perhaps marred in recent years due to his bad back. He sat out a large part of 2013, and had another back surgery in 2016. He missed three games this past year as well due to his ailing back. For someone who plays so aggressively and fearless, injuries were unfortunately bound to happen in a violent sport such as football. Nonetheless, his achievements and accolades seem even more impressive when looking at what he has dealt with.
The NFL and the New England Patriots have both taken a hit. Tom Brady has lost his safety blanket and the NFL has lost an instant sound bite. Agent Drew Rosenahus seems to think that it's not out of the realm of possibilities for a 29-year-old Gronkowski to return to the NFL somewhere down the line. I hope he's right, but either way, it has been an honor watching Gronk dominate that game — even as a New York Giants fan.
This is one of the greatest tight ends of all-time. I'm not sure if he was better than Antonio Gates or Tony Gonzalez, but I bet he could go shot-for-shot with them. He would even let them choose the drink.
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