Rob Gronkowski

Rob Gronkowski has officially announced his retirement from the NFL, with his next stop likely to be the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The tight end wraps up an impressive career as one of the best offensive players of his generation:

Assuming he doesn't return to the field—as he did after his first retirement in 2019—Gronkowski will be eligible for the Hall of Fame class of 2027. It could put him in a class with former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as potential first-ballot options.

Gronkowski is certainly qualified based on his statistics as one of the most productive tight ends in NFL history.

The 33-year-old totaled 621 catches and 9,286 receiving yards, while his 92 receiving touchdowns ranks third all time among tight ends and 12th overall. Injuries held him back throughout his career, but he still averaged 64.9 receiving yards per game, well ahead of Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (56 yards per game).

When healthy, Gronk was truly dominant with four first-team All-Pro selections and five seasons with at least 10 touchdown catches.

The production continued in the postseason, helping the Patriots win three Super Bowls while adding one more with the Buccaneers, all alongside Tom Brady.

Gronkowski scored 15 touchdowns in 22 playoff games, including five in five Super Bowl appearances. He had six catches for 67 yards and two touchdowns in the Super Bowl LV win over the Kansas City Chiefs two years ago.

Modern tight ends, including Travis Kelce and George Kittle, have produced impressive numbers in a pass-heavy league. However, few non-quarterbacks in NFL history have had as big of an impact on the team's success as Gronkowski.

It all points to a likely trip to Canton, Ohio for Gronkowski, and fans should prepare themselves for a memorable Hall of Fame speech.

Four-time first-team All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement from the NFL for a second time Tuesday, but his time in the league may not be over just yet.

Gronkowski's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told ESPN's Adam Schefter that his client might be persuaded to return if longtime teammate Tom Brady gives him a call.

Gronkowski and Brady played on the New England Patriots together from 2010-2018, winning three Super Bowls. The ex-Arizona star then retired for the 2019 season but came back when Brady left the Pats for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency.

The duo won another Super Bowl to cap the 2020 season and led Tampa Bay to an NFC South title in 2021.

If Gronkowski hangs it up for good, he'll retire as one of the best (if not the best) tight ends in NFL history. No one at his position has won more Super Bowls, and he sported a 17-game average of 74 catches, 1,104 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns, per Pro Football Reference. He never missed the playoffs in any of his 11 seasons, and he made the Super Bowl (six times) more often than he did not (five).

Gronkowski was a free agent this offseason, and without him, the Bucs have veteran Cameron Brate as well as rookies Cade Otton and Ko Kieft. Tampa Bay still has a stout receiving core with wideouts Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and now Russell Gage catching passes from Brady.

Rob Gronkowski is retiring from the NFL.

Again.

The 33-year-old, who came out of his 2019 retirement to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2020 and 2021 campaigns, announced Tuesday that he will retire:

Jordan Schultz first reported the news.

The tight end was an unrestricted free agent, but he is stepping away from the game after an incredible career that featured 621 receptions for 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns.

He told TMZ Sports in April he was "not ready to commit to the game of football right now."

He hinted at retirement in May as well when he responded to a social media prompt from Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette wondering how many fans will wear a No. 7 jersey by saying, "I'll represent a 7 jersey in the stands for ya!"

Last September, Gronkowski's brother Chris told TMZ Sports that Rob would retire when Tom Brady did. ESPN's Jeff Darlington and Adam Schefter reported in January the legendary quarterback was still "noncommittal to playing beyond this season" and wanted to discuss his plans with his family.

While Brady retired after the season, he announced less than two months later that he was returning to Tampa Bay.

Gronkowski was arguably the best tight end in NFL history even when he retired after the 2018 season. His resume includes four Super Bowl titles, four All-Pro selections, five Pro Bowl nods and a Comeback Player of the Year Award.

The University of Arizona product led the league with 17 touchdown catches in 2011 and went over 1,000 receiving yards four times while reaching double-digit touchdown catches five times during nine seasons with the Patriots.

He was unstoppable in the red zone with his size and physicality, but he was also athletic enough to shed tackles in the open field, exploit openings in zones and beat linebackers in space.

That continued when he teamed up again with Brady in Tampa Bay.

Gronkowski caught two touchdowns in the Super Bowl LV win over the Kansas City Chiefs to cap off the 2020 campaign. He remained effective in 2021 with 55 catches for 802 yards and six touchdowns even though he shared touches with Fournette, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown on offense.

While the Buccaneers didn't repeat as Super Bowl champions, they won the NFC South thanks in part to one of the NFL's best tight ends.

The next stop for Gronkowski is the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers remain optimistic Rob Gronkowski will commit to play in the 2022 NFL season, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Fowler reported Monday on Get Up that the Bucs “are simply waiting, giving him his space” and “loosely planning for him to be in the lineup.”

Still, Gronkowski's future remains up in the air, and Fowler added that a final decision may not come until "late July."

The five-time Pro Bowler offered a cryptic comment on social media in May. He told Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette he'd be wearing Fournette's No. 7 jersey in the stands this year.

Gronkowski told USA Today's Josh Peter in April he was open to giving it at least one more season:

I've played 11 years. It's not like you wake up after a game and you're feeling amazing. It's a beating. You get hit every single play.

“So if I'm not all in to do that, then I'm not going to put myself out there in that situation. But if I'm feeling that, if I want to go knock my head around, you know, put my body on the line, if I feel like doing that again, miss that, I would certainly sign another contract.

The 33-year-old continued to be an excellent option in a slightly more limited role for the Buccaneers in 2021. He caught 55 passes for 802 yards and six touchdowns. His 14.6 yards per reception and 66.8 yards per game were both his highest since 2017.

Much like how they did little to account for the possibility of Tom Brady staying retired, the Bucs haven't exactly lined up a successor to Gronkowski if he walks away for good.

O.J. Howard signed with the Buffalo Bills, and the team's outside additions at tight end arrived through the draft (fourth-rounder Cade Otton and sixth-rounder Ko Kieft).

The Bucs did at least bolster their passing game by signing Russell Gage, who's effectively a replacement for Antonio Brown.

Still, losing Gronkowski would undoubtedly be a blow for a franchise in win-now mode.

Tom Brady is holding out hope Rob Gronkowski will come back for another season in Tampa Bay, but he told reporters Thursday he's not applying any pressure for a swift decision:

"I think it's just obviously totally up to him and we'd all obviously love to play with him, but he's got to make the best decision for himself and he knows that. Anyone who cares about him knows that he's doing what's right for him, which is trying to figure it out. We don't have training camp for about six weeks so whatever he's got to do to figure it out and I think we'll be hopeful if he does and if he doesn't we still got to go out there and figure out what to do."

Gronkowski has been noncommittal about returning for a 12th NFL season and is currently a free agent. In March, he seemed to hint he was leaning toward returning but joked he wanted to give Brady "a little scare."

Gronkowski sat out the 2019 season as part of a one-year retirement before joining Brady in Tampa the following year. While he hasn't been as dominant as he was during his Patriots prime, Gronkowski was well on his way to a Pro Bowl campaign last season before injuries cost him five games. He recorded 55 receptions for 802 yards and six touchdowns, earning a 79.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

The overall wear and tear on Gronkowski's body has been a major factor in his hesitation to continue his Hall of Fame career. He estimated in 2019 that he's suffered 20 concussions during his football career, along with numerous surgeries and other ailments that did not require going under the knife.

Brady briefly retired in February before announcing he would come back for the 2022 season a month-and-a-half later. He's set to become the second-oldest quarterback in NFL history this season, topped only by George Blanda, who played until he was 48.

Unlike Blanda, Brady is still at the top of his game and putting up MVP-caliber numbers as he approaches age 45. Brady led the NFL with 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns against 12 interceptions last season; his yardage total ranks third on the single-season all-time list.

Rob Gronkowski's future remains up in the air, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reportedly like their chances.

According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, the Bucs are "optimistic [Gronkowski] will re-sign with the team sometime before it reports to training camp in late July."

One indication the Bucs believe Gronk will return for another year is that the team didn't replace O.J. Howard with a veteran at the position when he signed with the Buffalo Bills, instead drafting two young players, Cade Otton and Ko Kieft, behind veteran Cameron Brate.

Another is that they've kept about $12.4 million in cap space, which given Gronkowski's salaries with the team over the past two seasons—$9.2 million in 2020 and $8 million in 2021—would be plenty to bring him back yet again.

The 33-year-old, who retired for a season in 2019 before returning to the NFL to join longtime teammate Tom Brady in Tampa Bay, has played well for the Bucs.

In the 2020 title-winning season, he caught 45 passes for 623 yards and seven touchdowns across 16 games, adding eight catches for 110 yards and two scores in four playoff contests.

He was even better last year, albeit in 12 games, catching 55 passes for 802 yards and six scores. He added nine catches for 116 yards and a touchdown in two postseason games.

With or without Gronkowski, the Bucs have a ton of weapons for Brady, namely in the passing game with Chris Godwin, Mike Evans and Russell Gage. Running back Leonard Fournette has also been revitalized in Tampa.

But getting back the five-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro selection and four-time champion would be a nice boost. Brady and Gronk have a clear rapport on the field, giving the veteran quarterback a security blanket over the middle.

NFL defenses, on the other hand, would probably be just fine with Gronkowski sitting this one out.

Maybe Tom Brady has a future in baseball if this whole football thing doesn't work out.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback took some batting-practice cuts with Rob Gronkowski during the NFL offseason:

Brady does have some baseball history, as the Montreal Expos selected him in the 18th round of the 1995 first-year player draft. He ultimately chose to play football for the Michigan Wolverines, which turned out to be the right decision since he is now widely regarded as the greatest quarterback in the sport's history.

That didn't stop him from playing an April Fools' Day joke last year when he said he would be the first player/coach/owner in Major League Baseball history upon the Expos' return:

He won't be suiting up in the majors anytime soon, but Brady still has a solid swing if Tuesday's video was any indication.