Carrying out the wish of a friend who died of cancer earlier this month, former four-time All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski will retire as a New England Patriot on Wednesday when he signs a ceremonial one-day contract.
Gronkowski, 36, who won three Super Bowls during his nine seasons with the Patriots, made the announcement on Sunday on Fox, where he now serves as an analyst.
The five-time Pro Bowl selection, who still lives in Foxborough, Mass., where the Patriots play their home games, won a fourth Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.
Through his charity work in New England, Gronkowski developed a friendship with local philanthropist Susan Hurley, whom he said inspired him to build a new playground in Boston. At the unveiling in August, Hurley asked, “Can we just make it official and sign him for a day so he can retire as a Patriot?”
“I like that a lot, and the reason that we’re really going to do that is because of Susan Hurley,” Gronkowski said about Patriots owner Robert Kraft supporting Hurley’s proposition.
Hurley, 62, died on Nov. 1 of ovarian cancer.
Gronkowski, a member of the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, had 621 receptions for 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns in 143 games (128 starts) over his 11-year career with New England (2010-18) and Tampa Bay (2020-21). In 22 playoff games, he amassed 98 catches for 1,389 yards and 15 touchdowns.
