Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Four-time All-Pro TE Rob Gronkowski: 'I'm done with football'

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 7/12/22

It's been three weeks since future Hall-of-Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his second retirement from the NFL. Still, there appear to be many skeptics out there who feel "Gronk" will be back at some point during the 2022 season.

The five-time Pro Bowler made an attempt to put those rumors to rest on Tuesday.

Gronk: "I'm done with football. Love the game. Love the game. And definitely blessed with all the opportunities the game of football has given me.... But done with football and stepping my feet into the business." https://t.co/BNaTTAYGlj
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) July 12, 2022

Gronkowski first retired from playing football following the 2018 season -- his ninth and final year with the New England Patriots -- but after taking one season off, he elected to join longtime teammate Tom Brady on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "TB12" and "Gronk" helped lead Tampa Bay to a victory in Super Bowl LV against the Kansas City Chiefs and to the NFC divisional round this past season.

Brady initially retired at the beginning of February, but changed his mind approximately six weeks later. Many fans and experts across the league have speculated that Gronkowski's football future would depend on what Brady decided, but as of Tuesday, that doesn't appear to be the case.

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