It was a tough year for the New England Patriots’ offense without their former tight end, or a prominent player in the position at all.
The Patriots suffered at tight end this season after Rob Gronkowski retired in late March. The timing of his decision hampered the Patriots, as Jared Cook had signed with the New Orleans Saints prior to Gronkowski’s announcement, creating a hole in the offense.
The Boston Globe’s Ben Volin asked Gronkowski this week whether he regrets the timing of his retirement due to the negative effect it had on the Patriots.
“No, not at all,” Gronkowski told Volin. “I just felt like it was the right timing. We just won the Super Bowl — what was it, first week of February? To tell you the truth, I also had a quad that I couldn’t walk on for a week or two, and it was pounding me. So I wanted to heal up a little bit, get my thoughts all together. I didn’t want to make any decisions on the emotions right after the game, so I had to take a little time. But I didn’t want to wait too long, either. I just felt like it was the right time for myself and my family and everyone around me.”
Gronkowski seemingly is enjoying every part of life after football. Patriots fans on the other hand, not so much. As the Super Bowl arrives, they won’t be watching their team compete.
