BOSTON — Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski says he is retiring from the NFL after nine seasons. The tight end, who turns 30 in May, leaves as a three-time Super Bowl champion who has established himself as one of the most dominant players at his position. It led him to hint at retirement following New England’s Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles to end the 2017 season and again last month after the Patriots’ Super Bowl win over the Los Angeles Rams. In his Instagram post, Gronkowski thanked the Patriots organization and its fans for their support during his nine NFL seasons. But at times he looked like a shell of himself during the Patriots’ Super Bowl run this past season.

Source: National Post March 24, 2019 22:40 UTC