New England Patriots fans hope Rob Gronkowski gets the proverbial “itch” and ends his retirement sometime this season. Honestly, they’d probably even be satisfied if the superstar tight end made his comeback next season.
In either case, Jason Witten is someone whom Patriots fans can look toward for a source of hope.
The Hall of Fame-bound tight ended retired following the 2017 NFL season and spent last year on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” broadcast. But life in the booth clearly didn’t cut it for Witten, who ended his retirement in February to return to the Dallas Cowboys.
During a recent conversation with Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the 37-year-old Witten talked about the similar plight that Gronkowski likely is facing.
“What I do know about him is he’s the ultimate competitor, he loves football, so it’s going to be hard,” Witten told Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “It’s hard to fill that void, knowing you can still do it.”
Added Witten: “Look, this is a young man’s game, and father time catches up with all of us. But while you can still do it, and he certainly can, he’s going to have to find things that fill that. … A lot of guys I’ve seen in my career that played at a high level and were done, they moved on, never thought another day about it. I know he’s got a lot of opportunities, but I’m sure he’ll miss it, because he’s the ultimate competitor.”
Time will tell whether Gronkowski truly is serious about this whole retirement thing. If nothing else, the 30-year-old appears committed to living a healthier lifestyle after a brutal, taxing career in the NFL.
As for the Patriots, they’ll wrap up their preseason schedule Thursday night when they host the New York Giants at Gillette Stadium.
