Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement from the NFL in an Instagram post Sunday afternoon, but that move did not become official until two days later.
On Tuesday, the New England Patriots officially placed the four-time All-Pro tight end on the reserve/retired list, clearing roughly $9 million in salary cap space and opening a spot on the Patriots’ 90-man roster.
Though his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has raised the possibility of Gronkowski returning to the field at some point during the 2019 season, the 29-year-old has Pro Football Hall of Fame credentials even if he never plays another down.
In his nine seasons with the Patriots, Gronkowski caught 521 passes for 7,861 receiving yards and 79 touchdowns, surpassing 1,000 yards four times (most ever by a tight end) and finishing with a career average of 15.1 yards per reception.
The Arizona product added another 81 catches for 1,163 yards and 12 touchdowns in 16 playoff games and won three Super Bowls with New England.
The Patriots currently have four tight ends on their 90-man roster: Jacob Hollister, Stephen Anderson, Ryan Izzo and Matt LaCosse.
