Call me jaded, but I didn't see the point in Rob Gronkowski officially retiring - as a New England Patriot - the other day.
The four-time Super Bowl-winning tight end signed a one-day contract with the Pats to end his playing career.
Here's the thing. Or things, to be precise.
Gronkowski retired in 2019 after spending nine seasons with the Patriots. He unretired in 2020 when Tom Brady moved to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That lasted two years before Gronk called time once again.
I count that as two occasions when Gronk ended his playing career.
But, there's more.
Once upon a time, the Patriots were looking to trade Gronk to the Detroit Lions. The 2018 trade would have seen Gronk move to the Motor City in exchange for first and second round draft picks. The tight end nixed such a move claiming he would rather retire than play alongside a quarterback other than Tom Brady.
It's important to this narrative because Brady retired on the first day of February 2023.
So, if we're to believe that Gronk would never play for another team unless Brady was his QB, we have to go with the argument that February 1st 2023 is also a Gronk retirement.
Add this week's news, and I count that as four retirements and four Super Bowl rings.
What a career!
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