Gronk to fulfill late friend’s wish, retire as Patriot

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Rob Gronkowski plans to sign a ceremonial one-day contract with the New England Patriots on Wednesday so he can «retire as a Patriot for life,» fulfilling the wish of a close friend who died of cancer earlier this month.

Gronkowski, who played for the Patriots from 2010-2018 and was part of three Super Bowl championship teams before finishing his career and winning another Super Bowl title with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020-2021, made the announcement Sunday as part of his work as a Fox Sports analyst.

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 10, 2025

The ceremonial contract was suggested by local philanthropist Susan Hurley, with whom Gronkowski developed a close friendship through his extensive charity work in New England. In August, when Gronkowski unveiled a new playground in Boston to which he donated $1.8 million, he said it was inspired by Hurley. On that day, Hurley asked, «Can we just make it official and sign him for a day so he can retire as a Patriot?»

Owner Robert Kraft — who had already planned to do so when Gronkowski was eligible for induction into the team Hall of Fame next year — endorsed the idea of expediting it and Gronkowski said: «I like that a lot, and the reason that we’re really going to do that is because of Susan Hurley.»

Hurley lost a courageous battle with ovarian cancer on Nov. 1. She was 62.

Gronkowski still calls Foxborough, Massachusetts, where the Patriots play their home games, his home.

A member of the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, he is viewed as one of the greatest tight ends in the history of the NFL because of his effectiveness as both a blocker and pass catcher. In 11 regular seasons, he totaled 621 receptions for 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns. He saved some of his best work for the playoffs, playing in 22 games and amassing 93 catches for 1,389 yards and 15 touchdowns.