New England Patriot Rob Gronkowski May Retire To Pursue Acting Career, According To Report

New England Patriot tight end Rob Gronkowski, 28, may retire from football to pursue a career in acting.

ROB GRONKOWSKI TO RETIRE TO PURSUE ACTING CAREER?

Gronkowski, affectionately known as Gronk, has reportedly admitted to friends that his football-related injuries have “taken a toll on him,” according to the Eagle-Tribune. After the Patriots’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII, the tight end did not immediately commit to returning to the NFL next season. He is slated to earn $8 million in the 2018 season, and his contract does not have an opt-out clause.

When asked by Pro Football Talk about possibly retiring, Gronk did not give a straight answer. “I don’t know how you heard that, but I’m definitely going to look at my future, for sure. We’ll sit down in the next couple of weeks and see where I’m at,” he said. “I’m not ready for these types of questions right now. I’m just going to sit down, reflect on the season, talk to my teammates.”

Gronkowski is a two-time Super Bowl winner and five-time Pro Bowler, but has always been injury-prone. He missed most of the 2013 season due to forearm injuries and has been sidelined multiple times since because of concussions and other injuries.

Aside from football, Gronk has a few acting credits under his belt, including commercials for Tide and for DraftKings. Earlier in January, he was featured in an ad for Tide PODS, in which he chastised kids for eating the pods and clarified that they should only be used for laundry.

If the tight end were to pursue acting, he would join the likes of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Terry Crews, Michael Strahan, John Cena and Arnold Schwarzenegger, all athletes-turned-actors. According ot a source with the Eagles-Tribune, Gronkowski was told by Johnson and Sylvester Stallone that he could earn millions shooting action films.

Despite his injuries, Gronk was ranked the top tight end in the NFL in 2017. That year, he led the Patriots in receptions (69), yards (1,084) and touchdowns (8). In addition, he scored three touchdowns in the playoffs, including two in Super Bowl LII. Currently, he is the fourth highest-paid tight end in the NFL and the fourth-highest paid Patriot.