The Real Reason Rob Gronkowski Retired From Football
Ah, yes, Rob Gronkowski. As Joseph Zucker of Bleacher Report writes, the hulking New England Patriots tight end announced his retirement on March 24, 2019 with an Instagram post. Yet, despite leaving professional football behind a year ago, the 30-year-old "Gronk" remains a hot topic thanks to the fact that he is the host of Wrestlemania 36, and as Brent Brookhouse of CBS Sports notes, that's unlikely to be the extent of his involvement. Sure, Gronkowski has an extensive list of injuries, and may not turn into a full-time sports-entertainment superstar, but he has at least expressed interest in doing "one crazy match."
It remains to be seen what the future will hold for Gronk, but today, it's worth taking a look at his past. He's obviously fit as anything, and as anyone who has seen the man move can attest, he seems like he's full of energy and fit for absolutely anything. So, why is it that Rob Gronkowski retired from football in the first place?
Rob Gronkowski recognized it was time to do other things
As Shanna McCarriston of CBS News explained in 2019, Rob Gronkowski had his own reasons for retiring from football. People who have watched his career are no doubt familiar with the copious injuries Gronk suffered over the course of his career, as documented by Kaelen Jones of Sports Illustrated. In particular, many fans might remember his large, robotic-looking arm brace. On top of that, he fully admits that he liked to eat, drink and party, and that such a "rock star" lifestyle doesn't really mesh with a football career.
Gronk says that the seeds for his eventual retirement were sown in 2017 or so, when he practiced with the younger players during the summer and noticed that he was "getting smoked by every rookie." In the end, he decided that it was simply time to look into other things: "I felt like I had to get away from the game and focus on my health," he says. Curiously, Gronk said in September 2019 that despite leaving the sport behind, he doesn't necessarily rule out a comeback at some point down the line, if he finds the motivation.
So, who knows? Maybe Gronk will dominate the WWE for a while, then return to shine in the NFL once more. Then again, there's always Vince McMahon's XFL ...