Rob Gronkowski's second departure from the NFL might be for a similar reason as his first.
Gronkowski was open about how worn down his body was when he walked away from football following the 2018 season, his last with the New England Patriots. A rejuvenated Gronkowski returned to the league in 2020, and a clean bill of health allowed him to make a big impact for a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that won a Super Bowl in its first season with Tom Brady under center.
The future Hall of Famer called it quits again last month. While Gronk has enjoyed teasing the football world about his NFL future over the past few years, he's currently not leaving any room for uncertainty. The 33-year-old last week stressed his playing days are over and even a phone call from Brady wouldn't prompt him to put the pads back on.
According to ESPN's Dianna Russini, Gronk's unwillingness to consider another comeback might be because he knows his body wouldn't be able to handle it.
"Gronk isn't healthy," Russini said Wednesday on "Keyshawn, JWill & Max," as transcribed by Heavy.com. "So that's something that plays a big part in why he was able to be so open talking about retirement (on Tuesday)."
Now that he's approaching his mid-30s, bouncing back from injuries only will become tougher for Gronkowski, who always makes an impact in the trenches any time he takes the field. While we probably shouldn't completely rule out the possibility of an NFL return, it does feel like the right time for Gronk to ride off into the sunset, especially considering Brady might only have one season left in him, too.
