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Rob Gronkowski has been unclear about his intentions for the 2022 NFL season, debating whether to retire or keep playing.
According to his agent Drew Rosenhaus, Gronkowski is still on the fence and has not yet made a decision on his future. Rosenhaus stated:
"I talked to Tampa yesterday and I told them that he's still undecided, he needs some time to figure out whether he wants to play."
Rumors about what Rob Gronkowski will do moving forward have fluctuated as the offseason has played itself out. When Tom Brady announced his retirement, most around the NFL assumed Gronkowski would also retire.
Brady has been his quarterback for all 11 of his NFL seasons, and joining him on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is what pulled him out of retirement from the New England Patriots for the first time prior to the 2020 season.
When Brady was done playing football, it was hard to imagine Gronkowski being motivated to come back.
Now that Brady has announced that he's changed his mind and will rejoin the Buccaneers for the 2022 season, it's fair to wonder if Gronkowski will join him once again.
Since coming out of retirement two years ago, Gronkowski has proven he can still play, recording 117 receptions for 1,651 yards and 16 touchdowns.
He can still produce at a high level, but that doesn't necessarily mean he will return for another season. Here are three reasons why Rob Gronkowski may still choose to retire this year.
Why Rob Gronkowski may retire during the 2022 NFL offseason
#1 - Nothing left to prove
Gronkowski is already widely considered to be one of if not the best tight ends in NFL history.
He has won four Super Bowl rings in his career while being named to five Pro Bowls and four first-team All-Pros. He has basically accomplished all that he can as a player and may not be motivated to try to accumulate more of the same thing.
#2 - Injury history
Gronkowski has suffered an extensive list of injuries spread out across his NFL career, including multiple major surgeries.
In 11 years, he has only completed an entire season without missing any games three times. He may simply decide not to put his body through any more punishment.
#3 - Media career
Gronkowski has already started a successful media career off the football field.
His large media presence includes commercials, TV and radio appearances, podcasts, hosting award shows and game shows, among other things. He may decide it's time to end his football career and focus on his media career.
