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Gronkowski announces retirement
Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement from the NFL via an Instagram post on Sunday. After nine seasons with the New England Patriots, he is putting an end to a career in which he transcended the tight end position and was one of the league's most colorful personalities.
Gronkowski's 79 touchdown receptions since he joined the Patriots as a second-round draft choice in 2010 led the NFL. He had 10 or more touchdown receptions in five seasons, which is the most by a tight end in NFL history.
Gronkowski played in 115 regular-season games, totaling 521 receptions for 7,861 yards. He played in 16 playoff games, with 81 receptions for 1,163 yards and 12 touchdowns -- all records for a tight end.
Gronkowski's 12 postseason touchdown receptions are tied for second in NFL history among all players, behind Jerry Rice (22). He has four career 100-yard receiving games in the playoffs, tying him with Vernon Davis and Keith Jackson for the most by a tight end.
Gronkowski's notable accomplishments on the field include:
Gronkowski's 79 touchdown receptions since he joined the Patriots as a second-round draft choice in 2010 led the NFL. He had 10 or more touchdown receptions in five seasons, which is the most by a tight end in NFL history.
Gronkowski played in 115 regular-season games, totaling 521 receptions for 7,861 yards. He played in 16 playoff games, with 81 receptions for 1,163 yards and 12 touchdowns -- all records for a tight end.
Gronkowski's 12 postseason touchdown receptions are tied for second in NFL history among all players, behind Jerry Rice (22). He has four career 100-yard receiving games in the playoffs, tying him with Vernon Davis and Keith Jackson for the most by a tight end.
Gronkowski's notable accomplishments on the field include:
- In 2011, he set NFL single-season records for touchdowns (18) and receiving yards (1,327) by a tight end and became the first tight end to lead the conference in scoring with 108 points.
- Between 2010 and '12, he became the first tight end in NFL history with three straight 10-plus touchdown seasons.
- He led all tight ends in receiving yards for the fourth time in 2017, trailing only Tony Gonzalez (seven) and Shannon Sharpe (five) for most seasons leading the league in receiving yards as a tight end.
- He became the only tight end in NFL history to post three seasons of 1,000 yards receiving and 10-plus touchdowns (2011, 2014, 2015).
- He reached 1,000 yards receiving for the fourth time in his career in 2017, tying Gonzalez and Jason Witten for the most 1,000-yard seasons by a tight end in NFL history. His 80 touchdowns (79 receiving, one rushing) are the most in Patriots history. Only Antonio Gates and Philip Rivers have connected on more touchdowns between a tight end and quarterback in NFL history than Gronkowski's 78 with Brady.
- He recorded his 50th touchdown reception in his 59th game, which was 33 games earlier than the next-fastest tight end.