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Rob Gronkowski retires again, won’t join Tom Brady for third season in Tampa

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski waves to fans as he walks off the field.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski waves to fans as he walks off the field following a win over the Atlanta Falcons in December.
(Danny Karnik / Associated Press)
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Four-time All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement again, meaning he will not join Tom Brady for a third season in Tampa Bay.

In an Instagram post Tuesday, the four-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers thanked his teammates and coaches over the years and said he’s going back to “chilling out.”

Tom Brady apparently isn’t done. The seven-time Super Bowl winner announced he is coming out of retirement, and Bruce Arians couldn’t be happier.

“I want to thank the whole entire first class Buccaneers organization for an amazing ride, trusting me to come back to play and help build a championship team,” Gronkowski wrote. “I will now be going back into my retirement home, walking away from football again with my head held high knowing I gave it everything I had, good or bad, every time I stepped out on the field. The friendships and relationships I have made will last forever, and I appreciate every single one of my teammates and coaches for giving everything they had as well.“

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The 33-year-old retired in 2019 after nine seasons with the Patriots, but returned in 2020 when Brady went to the Buccaneers. The close friends teamed up to help Tampa Bay win a Super Bowl in 2021.

Gronkowski had 621 catches for 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns in the regular season. He had 98 receptions for 1,389 yards and 15 TDs in the postseason.

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