The greatest tight end in the history of football has officially hung up his cleats for good. Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement Sunday, bringing an end to one of the most dominant careers of all time. There will be a time and a place to break down what comes next, but for now, let’s take a look back on the greatest moments of Rob Gronkowski’s storied career.
The Five Best Rob Gronkowski Moments
5. Gronkowski’s First Three-Touchdown Game – Week 10, 2010
Rob Gronkowski had several great moments during his rookie year, but none top what he did in Week 10 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coming on the heels of a shocking 34-14 loss to Colt McCoy and the Cleveland Browns, the Patriots needed to bounce back by taking down Pittsburgh on the road.
Gronkowski answered the call by putting together the best performance of his rookie season. Catching all of his targets, Gronkowski finished the night with five receptions for 72 yards and three touchdowns as New England pulled off a convincing 39-26 victory. While this game was impressive on its own, it foreshadowed what was to come throughout Gronkowski’s unparalleled career. Gronkowski showed promise as a rookie, but this is the first game where his otherworldly potential first hit the field.
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4. Gronkowski Takes Over Against the Steelers – Week 15, 2017
Let’s set the scene: the 10-3 New England Patriots were trailing the 11-2 Pittsburgh Steelers by five points with 2:06 minutes left in the fourth quarter. A loss would all-but end New England’s hopes at homefield advantage through the playoffs, while a win would put them in the driver’s seat for the one seed. Tom Brady made a career off of converting these big moments, but he didn’t have Julian Edelman this time. Fortunately, he still had Rob Gronkowski.
Starting at their own 23, Rob Gronkowski dragged the Patriots down the field on three consecutive receptions for a nice 69 combined yards. While Dion Lewis ran in the game-winning score, Gronkowski singlehandedly took over the game and converted the following two-point conversion.
Gronkowski finished the game with nine receptions for 168 yards, but that final drive was the highlight of the night. Everyone watching the game knew the Patriots needed to throw the ball, and everyone knew Tom Brady would be throwing it to Rob Gronkowski. And yet, the Steelers couldn’t do anything to prevent it. Nobody could stop Gronkowski at his best, and that drive was one of the top moments of his career.
3. Gronkowski Kills Tebowmania – 2011 AFC Divisional Round
Gronkowski’s 2011 season was the greatest season by a tight end in history, so it’s hard to choose just one moment to put on this list. However, arguably the best game of that season came in the AFC Divisional Round against the Denver Broncos. New England dominated this game from start to finish, with Gronkowski recording 10 receptions for 145 yards and three touchdowns.
Gronkowski’s best touchdown reception was probably his first of the game. Running a corner route in the back of the endzone, quarterback Tom Brady led Gronkowski just a little too far. Despite the slightly off-target throw, Gronkowski was able to bounce the ball to himself and corral it as he was going to the ground. Brady threw six touchdowns and the Patriots won 45-10, but Gronkowski was as dominant as anyone on the field that day.
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2. Gronkowski Flies in Mile High – 2015 AFC Championship Game
The Patriots may have lost this game, but this may have been the best wire-to-wire performance of Rob Gronkowski’s career. 10 of the 11 members of the Patriots offense were completely outmatched in this game. Von Miller was playing like a man possessed, Chris Harris and Aqib Talib were taking Julian Edelman out of the game, and Tom Brady got hit 23 times. With no way to move the ball, Brady eventually stopped trying to read the defense and just started throwing prayers to Rob Gronkowski.
The strategy worked, as Denver’s historically good defense simply had no answer for Gronkowski. Despite playing through a hamstring injury which caused him to miss a few series, Gronkowski finished his night with eight receptions for 144 yards and one touchdown. Gronkowski converted two fourth-down attempts on the game’s final drive, including a touchdown to set up the game-tying two-point conversion. Gronkowski was open on the ensuing two-point attempt, but Brady opted to force a pass to Julian Edelman. The Patriots’ season ended that night in Denver, but Rob Gronkowski was the only reason the game was even close.
1. Gronkowski, Brady Connect One Last Time for a Title – Super Bowl LIII
Rob Gronkowski ended his career on the highest note possible. This game doesn’t earn the top spot from a statistical standpoint, as the big tight end has had several games with better stat lines. Rather, this game earns the top spot for what it represents.
After a career of devastating injuries, Gronkowski’s body finally started breaking down throughout the 2018 season. Clearly hobbled by ankle and back injuries, Gronkowski finished the regular season with “just” 47 receptions for 682 yards and three touchdowns. He was still a great run blocker, but he clearly wasn’t the same guy.
Except for that one last play. With Super Bowl LIII tied at three in the fourth quarter, Tom Brady turned to his old friend for one last game-winning drive. For one last time, Gronkowski lined up wide and went deep for the endzone. For one last time, Brady surveyed the field and aired one out to his dominant tight end. Despite tight coverage, Brady laid out the last of countless beautiful throws, while Gronkowski was able to fend off the coverage, stretch out, and make the signature play of the game.
Gronkowski couldn’t get in the endzone, but he set up Sony Michel to score the game-winning touchdown on the very next play. Gronkowski finished his night with a fitting 87 receiving yards and ended his career by making a vintage play to secure one last championship on his way out. All in all, it was the perfect storybook ending for one of the most storied tight ends in football.
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