Gronkowski mulling retirement
 

If Gronk retires...that offense is done.

Will Rob Gronkowski retire? Why the Patriots star's decision isn't easy

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/2...-decision-easy

Bill will most likely cut him anyway.

If you think the Patriots are done bc Gronk retires, then you clearly don’t understand how that team works.

No it's not and youve been calling for their demise since 2014. Please shut up.

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/12/pat...ent-to-harvard

I've heard from everyone that Gronk was already done this season. So what difference does that make?:hmmm:

Gronk should retire, he looked noticeably slow, but anyone thinking "they're done" because of losing a tight end hasn't been paying attention.

That article is from December 2016. Didn't they win the Super Bowl that season?ROFL

I wish he would also mull over eating a 44 magnum

Good chance we would've beaten them if Gronk hadn't played. Then no Super Bowl title this year and it's our time and perhaps the Patriots would've indeed been done.

I like magnum ice cream. It's quite good.:)

They had Martellus Bennett.

The cupboard is bare at TE without Gronk right now.

I don't care if he retires or not, but don't Brett Favre us for 3 or 4 years. ****ing get on with it or stfu.

Good point. Isn't this a good class for tight ends though? The other 31 teams need to draft the top 4 tight ends to prevent the Patriots from getting one of them then.LMAO

LOL at Gronk being the key to all the pats' success.

It's coaching (or Edelman is the best WR in the league, given the fact that neither us, nor the rams, could figure out how to stop him).

Funny how we couldnt figure out how to get Tyreek that open throughout the game versus the pats.....

Again, coaching.

He wants to be able to walk when he's ... you know the age... you know... especially you (pointing at woman). I can do the math if you want.

the guy is already a hofer and a 3x sb champ with 50+ million in the bank. That being said i'd sign a 3 year contract and play out the rest of tom brady's career then retire but its easy to talk about it not being him. Im sure his body is beat tf up

Gronk retires, Pats sign Maxx Williams nothing changes.

Best news Eric Berry has heard all day.

Gronk retiring will be one less weapon they have which will help. The reality though is that their offense doesn't run through him anymore and doesn't need him to be successful.

The end is near though. Brady will continue declining over the next couple years and that will be a much bigger problem for them than Gronk retiring.

I think he generally controlled Gronkowski in the past, but in this last game Gronkowski was his achilles heel.

You know, his other one.

yip

Berry did a great Bartee impression.

Gronk's easy to control for any DB. All you gotta do is grab and hold him. They never call it on him. It's pretty awesome, pretty much shaq rules. For other tight ends you had to be careful, especially the fast tight ends. Although sometimes they will call a hold against the DB, so it's risky but it's the right way to play him. Eric Berry definitely understood this.

For sure- every time someone predicted the demise of their team because they lost a superstar, somehow they found someone new to help row the boat.

Gronk apparently suffered through a strained achilles and a bulging disk this year, which made him look slow and he was clearly less effective in the passing game, though his blocking was still stellar.

By the end of the season, especially the SB, he was healthy, back to his jovial self, and pretty damn good in the SB in receiving as well as blocking. He's very smart with the money he has made and can definitely retire if he wants, to pick up acting or WWE or whatever the heck he wants to do with his life. He loves football, but it's hard to love football when you're hurt.

We'll have to wait and see.

I definitely think that if Gronk retires the Patriots will never win a single game again though. Yep. Definitely not. :rolleyes:

Let's face it -- the Patriots will trade for one, or sign one, or whatever, and/or reallocate the money to pick up a strong WR or whatever. The ONE thing the Patriots under Belichick do is ADAPT. If you can name the TEs that helped the Patriots win the SB in 2001, 2003 and 2004, then good on you, but I bet most here can't.

I'll tell you how this works here will reportedly retire but stay in shape. The Patriots will have a hiccup at the beginning of the season and he will come to the rescue. Because like isn't fair.

Belichick's main source of inspiration might not be Paul Brown, or his father, but rather Charles Darwin. Both in team building concepts as well as game-planning week to week, as well as in-game adjustments, the SINGLE thing BB and his teams do FAR better than anyone else is adapt.

https://excellentjourney.files.wordp...702-210224.jpg

:clap:

No it wasn't. You're blind as **** if you think Gronkowski's blocking was good this season. Watch that 1st Bills game on Monday Night Football and tell me if you thought Gronkowski looked right. He wasn't able to wham block 300 pound lineman anymore. He was losing blocks against edge defenders. He looked old and broken down even in blocking when he was hurting. He looked like the tight ends of this generation who couldn't block if their lives depended on it.

I mean just look at that Super Bowl on Sunday. Donta Hightower decleated Rams tight end Tyler Higbee who is supposed to be their "blocking tight end" lol!ROFL

If he retires, they'll plug someone else in. The only way that dynasty ends is if Tom or Bellichek retire. Face it fellas, we're gonna have to just beat these ****ers. Almost did it twice this year. With a little better defense and Mahommes getting his stride...we got this. With or without Gronk. But don't count out the damn Patriots. It's just not smart...

I hate that Ford jumped offside and said at the time, it would have been great to win and have Brady go for 1TD and 3 picks and Gronk's last play ever be an interception he tipped and probably should have caught that caused them to lose the game.

Bradys twilight of the gods has begun. He had a lot of luck this post season. Chiefs defense and Rams offense have given him the super bowl.

True dat...:(

We beat that team.

If they lose him, Bill will just draft Hockensen, Fant, or Smith and they’ll continue to roll.

:cuss::cuss::cuss::cuss::cuss::cuss:

Ford didn't jump into offside, he started out of offside. :deevee:

Just saw Jared Cook is a FA too. Wouldn’t surprise me

How's his blocking?

I heard Hollywood is waiting.

I foresee the next John Cena

This is getting to remind me of Favre. This is like the 3rd year in a row now that he is mulling retirement.

I want the Pats with all their weapons next year while Mahomes and spags unleash the fury the league is about to witness.

Not if criminally ****ing reeruned defensive coordinators don't start taking away the short throws and making his old ass beat them deep. It won't be a problem at all.

GOD **** Bob Sutton.

I imagine Belicheat will just sign some undersized Tackle and work on his hands a bit.

That's pretty much all Gronk was this year, and they're obviously committed to at least having the power run game as an option.

Yeah because that is toms only legit elite talent besides Edelman lmao. Imagine if bill actually tried to make toms life easier

They have plenty of draft picks. They have an extra 2nd and 3rd and might get some compensatory picks for guys they lost. They often seem to trade back and accumulate picks, but if they want to draft a TE they'll have the picks to do whatever they want.

Jermaine Wiggins is all I got. Ben Watson came a little later.

I want the Pats with none of their weapons next year. I want them to go 0-16 and lose every game by 40 points unless they're playing the Broncos, Raiders, or Chargers, in which case I may or may not want them to win, depending on the playoff scenarios.

It's not about the deep throws. Brady can throw it deep. It's about throwing outside the numbers. That's what defenses need to do. Wade Phillips did exactly that for a lot of the game.

It's about not giving him the easy shit because he won't miss that. Just like any defensive strategy SHOULD - challenge the offense to do what they don't do well.

Christian Fauria

There are only two people who matter: Belichick and Brady.

I think he’s retiring, unless Brady convinces him to do one more season.

You mean giving the receivers a 10 yard cushion every play and letting them run free wasnt working?

Also is Gronk really a HoFer. He played his entire career with one of the best QBs to ever play.

Gronkowski career stats 9 years playing
521 rec 7861 yds 15.1 avg 79 tds

Jimmy Graham career stats 9 years playing
611 rec 7436 yds 12.2 avg 71 tds

If you think old Rob is a HoFer then you have to think Jim is too.

He wans't right alot of the season, but by the playoffs he was blocking at an elite level.

Except that you didn't because your guy's (Ford's) mistake cancelled out our guy's (Gronk and/or Brady, as you wish to divide responsibility between them) mistake.

This whole "we won if we didn't **** up because our **** up cancelled their **** up" argument doesn't make much sense. Yeah, your guy ****ed up, which cancelled our guy's **** up. But why should your guy not have ****ed up, but our guy should still have ****ed up? Kinda dumb tbh.

It's my understanding that injuries were a big part of that. In the SB he had nearly 100 yards receiving and was very good blocking. If he comes back, and if he has a healthy year, then he should once again be among the best TEs in the NFL, if not THE best.

Truth hurts.

You''ll live, gloater.

That's pretty damn good. Fauria (who someone else named) and Daniel Graham (pretty much a bust of a first round pick) are others.

Then there's that murderer guy. I prefer not to speak about him...

And of course Martellus Bennett. Short stay but big contributor.

No reason he should stay as I’m sure he could have a great career at NASA.

Graham might be. You're ignoring the blocking aspect altogether and just stat whoring though. The "9 years" also glosses over that Gronk played in 115 games, while Graham played in 137, so Gronk's per game averages are MUCH higher.

It's simple -- Gronk is the most dominant tight end I've ever seen. He also helped the Patriots get to, and win, multiple SBs. I don't see any chance that he doesn't get in.

I'm sure it does hurt. It's the truth that you argument makes no sense.

Yes, yes I surely will. :p

Jimmy Graham can't block. Just like Kelce can't block. Contrary to all you fantasy football lovers, blocking actually matters. Yes Gronkowski is a hall of famer. How many tight ends in the history of the game could block like Gronkowski?

Jimmy Graham is soft as shit. Not a hall of famer. I mean look at how many DB's made Jimmy Graham their bitch. Remember pre-game playoffs when the Seahawks tossed Jimmy Graham out of their side of warm ups?

Gotta take playoff into account and rings

Imagine being able to pound all the poon you want, while being RETIRED, at 29 years old?

What a life.

****, I thought he was older than that.

No. He turns 30 in May. Been around forever because he came into the league very young in 2010.

It makes perfect sense. Brady threw a high pass, Gronk tipped it and Ward intercepted the ball. Where ford lined up had ZERO affect on the play.

....and deep down, you KNOW it.

Get a life.

ROFL

He's not even close to as good as Gonzalez was.

He's Jeremy Shockey with a HOF coach and QB leading the way.

Let's not full on crazy. Gonzo maybe not but Shockey? Gronk is an all time great. Really is not a question. Fortunate where he played but he's a great player.

Watching Brady hit James White over and over and over again with nobody covering him made me age about 5 years

We had them beat. Ford screwed us and the refs. They would have never thrown that flag on the Pats.

He's been pretty banged up. So if he does, it's understandable.

Especially when they actually won a SB without him.

Gronk is an athletic Frankenstein with hands that is a natural blocker with better than average speed that is deceptive. Comparing Gronk to Gonzo is apples to oranges IMHO. Two different type of players. Gronk's injuries are legit due to his physicality and how much he blocks and takes hits over the middle whereas Shockey was just plain soft was a barely a blocker.:rolleyes:

It should be interesting what happens to Gronkowski. I think he is seriously considering retirement and may even be strongly leaning towards it but at the same time maybe using that threat to convince BB not to try to cut his salary too much in case he does want to come back.

Would not be surprised if some sort of agreement was reached where he is used a bit less during the season in games and practice if he comes back. Patriots draft a tight end early but keep Gronk as well. Split the duties.

And BB takes it easier on him in practice. Basically, just try to preserve him for playoffs.

Chiefs got unlucky vs the Patriots in one key aspect. San Diego game was probably relatively easy on Gronk's body for a playoff game since the Chiefs were playing a bunch of DB's, so the Patriots just tried to run it down their throats. And only really used Gronk for run blocking.

Gronk has certainly even when healthy lost a little bit of his speed but at his best the top safety's could certainly cover him well. But the Patriots are about trying to fill their roster with good to very good players -- a bunch of them -- and hopefully have a match-up advantage somewhere.

Don’t see the value of another season for him. Let’s say he has an “average” Gronk year and they win another super bowl. How much is really adding to his overall legacy at that point?

At this point and maybe all along, I don't think he plays for his legacy like a baseball player or basketball player might.

I think he plays for 2 main reasons.
1) $$$$$$$ -- tough to think Hollywood would give him that much money at least to start off.
2) the love of the game and being around his teammates. He has played it for so long that he doesn't really know anything else.

If he knew the Patriots would win the Super Bowl next year and his long term health wouldn't take too much of a hit and he would just perform okay, I think he would be back.

But the worst case scenario for him is he makes his health situation worse and Patriots perhaps miss playoffs or lose in first round.

I think his legacy is secure. He is not Jerry Rice or Emmitt Smith (or a pass receiving tight end that put up ridiculous yards for his career) but those players legacies weren't hurt when they just decided to hang on.

Gronk's legacy is he was a physical freak who happened to play on a great team and was one of the key cogs at times as a tight end that could receive and block. But he was more injury prone than faster/smaller tight ends that are easier to take down.

In Gronk's shoes I would retire since football is obviously dangerous and health consequences can be severe. That being said if I was on the borderline of playing, I would only do so for a fairly good salary that I think I am worth.

Wow is that you Adam Schefter?!

You mean the guy that has been injured and obviously loves the game would play next year if he knew that he was going to win another championship and had no long term health effects? Man that must have taken you all week to put the dots together!