At 12:15 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Rob Gronkowski will sign a one-day contract to retire with the Patriots, the team with which he spent the majority of his professional career.
Widely regarded as one of the best tight ends in history, Gronk was first drafted to the Pats in 2010 and played in Foxborough until the 2018 season. He won three Super Bowls with New England—XLIX, LI and LII—briefly retired in 2019, then defected for Tampa Bay with Tom Brady in 2020 and 2021; the pair won another Super Bowl that first season at Raymond James.
Gronk has not played a snap of football since January 23, 2022, but he has chosen this moment in particular to return to Gillette Stadium and officially retire as a Patriot. Why is he doing this now?
The heartwarming reason Rob Gronkowski chose now to retire as a Patriot
Gronk is signing a one-day contract with New England in honor of close friend and local philanthropist Susan Hurley, who died of cancer at age 62 earlier this month. When the tight end unveiled a new playground in Boston back in August, one to which he donated $1.8 million, Hurley suggested the Patriots sign him for a day so he could retire with the team.
"The reason we're really going to do that is because of Susan Hurley," Gronkowski said at the time. "She wants to see that happen and has been dreaming about it happening for a while."
Per ESPN, owner Robert Kraft had already planned to do so once Gronk was eligible for induction into the team's Hall of Fame in 2026 (players must be four years removed from the NFL), but was comfortable speeding things up in accordance with Hurley's suggestion.
Gronkowski then announced the news on Sunday, Nov. 9, while working as a broadcaster for Fox.
"Here's some news first, everyone. I am signing a one-day contract with the Patriots this week coming up to retire as a Patriot and be a Patriot for life … so I'm going with the Patriots," Gronk said, also revealing his pick for the winner of Week 10's Patriots-Buccaneers contest.
Are @RobGronkowski and @TomBrady going for the Bucs or Pats today?!
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 9, 2025
Gronk says he's rooting for New England ahead of signing his one-day contract this week to retire a Patriot! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/OUOxnOfhwy
Fans can watch the ceremony at Patriots.com, starting at 12:15 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
Rob Gronkowski's career stats
Gronk is no doubt a future Hall of Famer, heralded for not only his pass-catching prowess but also his size and ability to block. Across 11 seasons, he racked up a total of 9,286 receiving yards and 93 total touchdowns, and still holds a few NFL records, including the most 100-yard games by a tight end (32) and the most total touchdowns by a tight end.
The greatest tight end in @NFL history is retiring a Patriot!
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 10, 2025
Watch @RobGronkowski sign his one-day contract this Wednesday at 12:15 PM LIVE on Patriots digital & social. pic.twitter.com/fXOwNHDtFq
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Did Rob Gronkowski Choose Now to Retire As a Patriot?.
