Rob Gronkowski Offers Up Totally Fair Reason Why He Didn't Thank Patriots In His Retirement Announcement

There was something missing from Rob Gronkowski's retirement announcement on June 21: a mention of the New England Patriots.

Gronk spent nine seasons in New England and won three Super Bowl rings with the Patriots. So, when the 33-year-old failed to mention the Pats in his retirement message, people took notice.

Gronkowski did make sure he thanked his most recent team, the Buccaneers, while posting a graphic of him in a Tampa Bay jersey to his Instagram to go along with the announcement.

The tight end was asked about why he excluded the Patriots from his retirement announcement, and his reasoning is honestly completely fair.

“I think it’s a little blown out of proportion,” Gronkowski told NESN. “I mean, I kind of did it when, you know, my first retirement.”

This is actually Gronkowski's second time retiring. He called it quits in March of 2019 after winning a Super Bowl with New England and was sure to thank the franchise in his initial retirement announcement.

“There’s no doubt I love New England,” Gronkowski explained. “I love all the fans here in New England. There’s no doubt."

"But I felt like that speech or whatever, the time and place I did for the first one was great, and I was just kind of giving it for that retirement for the two years I had in Tampa. But I think it was blown out of proportion maybe a little. But I love New England, love everything about it.”

Gronk of course made his return to the NFL a year after his first retirement to join forces with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay.

Speaking of Brady, Gronk made it very clear that even if his former QB called him to run it back one last time he'd have to say no.

It sounds like Gronk's second retirement is going to stick.