Since Rob Gronkowski currently is on injured reserve, he was not put through the same media wringer his New England Patriots were during the lead-up to Super Bowl LI.
The All-Pro tight end did take questions Friday during a promotional appearance at Super Bowl Radio Row in Houston, however, including one about what he plans to do after he retires from the NFL. Gronkowski said he hasn’t given it much thought, adding he can’t imagine hanging up his cleats before 39-year-old Patriots quarterback Tom Brady does.
“I don’t really think about it,” Gronkowski said, as transcribed by ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss. “Every single day I’m with Brady, and he’s talking about how he’s going to play six more years. So like, in my mind, how can I stop playing before Brady? I came into the league like 50 years after him.
“I plan on playing as long as I possibly can. I love the game of football. It’s my first love. I put football first, before everything.”
At 27, Gronkowski is more than a decade Brady’s junior and still is in the prime of his career. But injury concerns have put his future both with the Patriots and as an NFL player into question.
Gronkowski has missed games with forearm, ankle and hamstring injuries during his time in New England and, most importantly, he recently underwent his third back surgery. A body — even one as freakishly athletic and talented as Gronkowski’s — can only withstand so much punishment before it breaks down.
Brady, meanwhile, is the picture of perfect health, crediting his strict diet and workout regimen for his ability to play at a high level even as he nears his 40th birthday. The QB enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career in 2016, completing 67.4 percent of his passes with 28 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
Brady will start his record seventh Super Bowl on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, and a win would give him five Super Bowl titles. He currently is tied with Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana for most all time with four.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
