Rob Gronkowski retires, won’t join Tom Brady for 3rd season in Tampa Bay

Associated Press
Tuesday, June 21, 2022 3:21 p.m. | Tuesday, June 21, 2022 3:21 p.m.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) waves to fans after an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, in Atlanta.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) celebrates his touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half of an NFL wild-card football game Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022, in Tampa, Fla.

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Rob Gronkowski arrives for the NFL Honors show Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022, in Inglewood, Calif.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) runs with the ball during an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022, in East Rutherford, N.J.

TAMPA, Fla. — Four-time All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement again, meaning he will not join Tom Brady for a third season in Tampa Bay.

In an Instagram post Tuesday, the four-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots and Buccaneers thanked his teammates and coaches over the years and said he’s going back to “chilling out.”

“I want to thank the whole entire first class Buccaneers organization for an amazing ride, trusting me to come back to play and help build a championship team,” Gronkowski wrote. “I will now be going back into my retirement home, walking away from football again with my head held high knowing I gave it everything I had, good or bad, every time I stepped out on the field. The friendships and relationships I have made will last forever, and I appreciate every single one of my teammates and coaches for giving everything they had as well.”

The 33-year-old retired in 2019 after nine seasons with the Patriots, but returned in 2020 when Brady went to the Buccaneers. The close friends teamed up to help Tampa Bay win a Super Bowl in 2021.

Gronkowski had 621 catches for 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns in the regular season. He had 98 receptions for 1,389 yards and 15 TDs in the postseason.