Since Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement on Sunday his football resume has made its rounds on Twitter. Three-time Super Bowl champion, four-time first team All-Pro, and so on.
Gronk has a resume fit for Canton. pic.twitter.com/LCXeKwwbty
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 24, 2019
Yes, yes, Gronk is a sure-fire Hall-of-Famer. That’s old news to anyone who’s watched him make two plays over the last nine years.
Obviously, he could’ve bolstered his standing in the game’s history even further if he stuck around another year or two. But what would be the point in that?
Gronk’s camp has made it clear for a while the tight end would not step out of the spotlight upon retirement. Football was simply an avenue for Gronk to build a bigger brand around his party animal persona.
With the knowledge now available about the dangers of football, this seems like the sensible option for any player with a personality and a following. There have been others far less talented and compelling than Gronk to retire because they know the risks.
Rob Gronkowski was not going to find a better time to hang things up. He had his big moments in the postseason after being nearly non-existent in the regular season. He still had the hero status, but wouldn’t likely get the contract he wanted.
High risk of further, serious injury. A potential drop in salary. No real way to further lift his already sky-high profile — meaning it could only drop. This really was the optimal time for Gronk to call it quits
From a business perspective, things have gone as well as anyone in this position could’ve hoped.
The news came as a shock to many. Everyone is left wanting more. An overwhelming amount of gushing consumed social media from fans, teammates and media followed the news.
Everyone already misses Gronk.
Now, if he’s still around in a different setting, fans more are likely to follow him, even if he explores something said fans wouldn’t they normally be interested in. “Gronk’s doing it, so I have to check it out.”
Had Gronk hung around until he was old and irrelevant, or churned out as many so-so seasons as great ones, injuries wouldn’t be the only problems he’d have on his hands.
This is a very well timed move by Gronk and his camp and should help carry him through his first few tough attempts at acting — whether on WWE or on camera.
