MENU
New England Patriots star tight end Rob Gronkowski dropped a bit of a bombshell on the sports media world a couple of weeks ago. Following a tough loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 52, the man known as “Gronk” admitted he wasn’t entirely sure about his future.
As in, the 28-year old may not be coming back to play in 2018.
Since Gronkowski suggested his future could be in limbo, the Rob Gronkowski retirement rumors have picked up some steam. Several reports have blended together to make the future look rather bleak for New England getting their top receiving threat back on the roster come next season.
Serious Thought
Per reports, “injuries have taken a toll” on Gronkowski, who is one of the most physically dominant players in NFL history, but has endured a litany of injuries. Those injuries have often forced Gronkowski to miss time, play hurt or even required offseason surgey. It’s easy to see the impact, too, with Gronkowski missing 26 games in his career due to several ailments.
The biggest problems Gronkowski has dealt with are a chronic back issue, a broken arm and a torn ACL. In addition, Gronkowski is understandably facing the constant risk of concussions in such a high contact sport.
While everyone seemed to take Gronkowski for his word initially, many likely chalked his pessimism up to losing one of the biggest games of his pro career. Gronkowski was reportedly thinking about his future before the game even started, however, with some reports suggesting he’d been pondering retirement “for some time”.
When questioned about his future immediately following New England’s Super Bowl 52 defeat, Gronkowski seemed borderline annoyed that word had gotten out about his plans.
Other Ventures
On top of Gronkowski’s injury history, it’s arguable that one of the best tight ends in pro history has already accomplished everything he’s wanted to in the sport of football. Gronkowski already has played in and won multiple Super Bowls, he’s put up staggering stats and by all accounts has cemented himself as possible the greatest tight end ever and he hasn’t even hit age 30.
There is another chapter looming in Gronkowski’s life, too. There have been whispers that Gronkowski has serious interest in media projects that could take him out to Hollywood, while the WWE may try to lure him away from the NFL, as well:
Report: WWE trying to sign Gronk to Ronda Rousey-type deal https://t.co/HzoHfURBcY
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) February 17, 2018
It remains to be seen what Gronkowski will actually do. He’s not even 29 years old yet and if he is thinking about leaving football for other ventures, those are things that will probably still be available to him in a few years. Gronkowski could still add to his impressive numbers and chase down more titles, but he’s young and has the world at his feet. It’s not crazy to think he’s ready to move on and let someone else take a beating every Sunday.
Gronkowski has the personality and fame to be just as famous – if not more so – without putting his body at risk. The fact that he has so many tantalizing options on the table may stir up further interest in the wager some NFL betting sites have right now regarding his future.
Betting Impact
Bettors might not be able to make money by wagering on Gronk’s impact on New England in 2018, but if they guess correctly and bet accordingly, they might be able to make some cash if he ends up retiring. Due to the mounting evidence, that’s something bettors may want to consider, and also something Patriots fans will want to brace for.
That’s especially true for New England. The Pats remain the favorites to win Super Bowl 53 (+550 at Bovada), but how far could those odds tumble if their best passing weapon calls it quits?
It’s easy to go either way on that one. For one, this is probably the best tight end the league has ever seen. That’s an elite red-zone target that Tom Brady won’t have at his disposal any longer. Then again, New England did win Super Bowl 51 with him on injured reserve.
This actually could be a bettor’s dream, too. New England already offers amazing betting value at these odds. Rob Gronkowski retiring could drop them even further and potentially make the Patriots the most attractive bet on the board.
There is a lot of time between now and the start of the 2018 NFL season and it’s likely that Gronkowski will take most of it to decide his future. Whatever happens, however, the Patriots could be impacted by his decision and sports bettors need to be ready to take advantage of it, one way or another.
