What Pushed Gronkowski To Make Retirement Decision

Rob Gronkowski put the team in a rather awkward situation. The final days of his time as an active player were filled with mystery. Gronk didn’t talk much about his final decision, and even ignored all the questions about it. New England couldn’t add new players because Gronk’s decision was unknown at the time.

Jared Cook decided to ink a deal with the New Orleans Saints. Losing Cooks was probably the final thing that led head coach Bill Belichick to push Gronk into saying his final word. That’s what ESPN’s Mike Reiss says.

“Belichick was in a tough spot with Rob Gronkowski, as he was respecting his space and giving him the time he needed/earned to come to a decision on his future,” he reported. “At the same time, Gronkowski’s uncertainty had a trickle-down effect on Belichick’s ability to build the team, which Belichick seemed to realize after unsuccessfully attempting to woo free-agent tight end Jared Cook. So it makes sense that Belichick reached out to agent Drew Rosenhaus after meeting with Cook, wondering where things stood with Gronkowski. As Peter King first reported, that led Rosenhaus to let Gronkowski know he should inform the team as soon as possible. Three days later, Gronkowski called owner Robert Kraft to relay his retirement, and then seemed to surprise the team by breaking the news to everyone a few hours later on Instagram.”

Belichick had every right to make such move. New England now has enough time to sign a trade deal or look for a replacement in the draft for Gronk. His retirement also frees up about $9 million for the Patriots to look for more free agents.

The Patriots hoped to see Gronk back on the field again. It didn’t work the way they planned. But, they a clear view of the current situation and their roster. The team didn’t have that luck in the first wave of free agency.

New England can now focus on the draft picks in an effort to boost the offense. It’s more than obvious that Gronk is the one and only, but Belichick will work something out.