There's no question Rob Gronkowski will go down as one of the top tight ends in football history, but the game "Gronk" loved for so many years forced him to retire after eight seasons in the NFL.
After five months removed from the NFL, the former Arizona Wildcat and New England Patriot announced Tuesday morning his partnership with a cannabidiol (CBD) product for athletes to use during rehab and recovery from injuries.
Gronkowski then shared experiences of Patriots fans wanting him to play football again. Gronkowski jokingly said "I'm not retiring from life," but fought back tears when he reflected on the physical toll on his body, including a quad injury he suffered in the most recent Super Bowl.
"I want to be clear to my fans. I needed to recover. I was not in a good place. Football was bringing me down, and I didn't like it. I was losing that joy in life," said Gronkowski.
"I got done with the game and I could barely walk. I slept five minutes that night. I couldn't even think. I was in tears in my bed after a Super Bowl victory. It didn't make that much sense to me. And then, for four weeks, I couldn't even sleep for more than 20 minutes a night. I was like, 'Damn, this sucks.' It didn't feel good. ... For the first time in a decade, I am pain free."
Gronkowski didn't leave out the possibility of returning from retirement to join the New England Patriots.
"When that time comes down in the future, if I have the desire to play football again, if I feel passionate about football again, if I feel like I need to be out there on the field, I will go back to football," he said. "But as of right now, that is not the case. ... I truly don't see it in the foreseeable future."
Gronkowski said his return to the NFL could be anywhere from three months, to six months, to three years, but isn't in a rush and is eager to begin a new chapter as a businessman.
