It’s been five weeks since the Patriots lost Super Bowl LII and, not long after departing the field at U.S. Bank Stadium, tight end Rob Gronkowski created a sea of uncertainty when asked about his football future.
"We just lost, so I just want to sit back, relax the next couple of weeks," a subdued Gronkowski said afterward. "I really got nothing to say about that right now."
Even considering the timing of the question, what with it coming after a devastating defeat, [...]
It’s been five weeks since the Patriots lost Super Bowl LII and, not long after departing the field at U.S. Bank Stadium, tight end Rob Gronkowski created a sea of uncertainty when asked about his football future.
“We just lost, so I just want to sit back, relax the next couple of weeks,” a subdued Gronkowski said afterward. “I really got nothing to say about that right now.”
Even considering the timing of the question, what with it coming after a devastating defeat, it was a shocking admission from Gronk, who will turn 29 in May and has the size, speed, strength, and skill to play at an elite level for at least the next few years.
Since then it’s been reported by Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston that Gronkowski has soured on the regimented routine in Foxboro and felt he was “persecuted” and “singled out” last season, ostensibly by commander-in-chief Bill Belichick.
So it’s become a case of whether Gronk still wants to go to work every day to do a job he doesn’t enjoy, especially when he may have other options.
There are rumors Gronkowski has a job waiting for him in the WWE should he retire from the NFL. He certainly has the physique and personality to be a professional wrestler.
There is also chatter he could attempt to become a professional actor, although whether he has the thespian tools to succeed in Hollywood is a legitimate question.
So, will he or won’t he? And when will we know?
According to Peter King of The MMQB, he was told Gronkowski hadn’t made a decision on his future as of last weekend and wasn’t in a rush to do so.
Many fans believe Gronkowski should inform the Patriots of his plans sooner rather than later, what with free agency set to commence at 4 p.m. on Wednesday as his decision will directly impact their plans.
On the other hand, the Patriots — like every NFL franchise — regularly strong arm their players with the knowledge they can pretty much cut anyone at any time due to the absence of guaranteed contracts. So Gronk doesn’t owe the Patriots anything.
And unless the Patriots are prepared to trade their four-time All-Pro tight end, Gronkowski will continue to maintain leverage in this apparent standoff because they have no choice but to wait it out.
As for whether the Patriots would actually trade Gronkowski, the answer is obvious. Anyone can be dealt. Just ask Logan Mankins, Richard Seymour, Chandler Jones, and Jamie Collins.
What they’d get in return is likely less than one would think.
To put the oft-injured Gronkowski’s value in perspective, consider edge rusher is a premium position and the Patriots got a second-rounder and guard Jonathan Cooper (since released) for Jones, who was 26, healthy and coming off a 12½-sack season when they dealt him to the Arizona Cardinals in 2016.
In the meantime, Gronkowski’s lack of action is adversely impacting the Patriots’ course of action.
Releasing underperforming tight end Dwayne Allen would free up $5 million in cap space. That seemed a strong possibility until Gronkowski put his football career in a holding pattern.
Those freed up funds could have been used to help re-sign the Patriots’ many free agents, a group highlighted by left tackle Nate Solder, receiver Danny Amendola, and running backs Rex Burkhead and Dion Lewis. (We’ll leave cornerback Malcolm Butler out for obvious reasons.)
But Jacob Hollister, who caught four passes as an undrafted rookie last season, and Will Tye, who spent most of last season on the practice squad, are the only other tight ends on the varsity roster. So Allen has become a costly insurance policy.
It’s been five weeks since Gronkowski said he was unsure about his football future. And still we and, most important, the Patriots wait for a decision that is going to significantly affect the franchise no matter what it is.