Overview
- Gronkowski announced he will sign the ceremonial contract this week to retire as a Patriot and be a Patriot for life.
- He made the announcement during FOX NFL Sunday and immediately said he is picking New England in the Patriots–Buccaneers matchup.
- Tom Brady, appearing on the same broadcast, declined to choose a side and joked that only the Patriots built him a statue at Gillette Stadium.
- Gronkowski spent nine seasons with New England after being drafted in 2010, retired in 2019, returned with Tampa Bay in 2020, and retired again in 2021 after winning a fourth Super Bowl.
- One-day retirements are a familiar NFL practice, with stars such as Jerry Rice, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Emmitt Smith having done the same to end their careers with signature teams.