BREAKING: Rob Gronkowski is retiring from football

The legendary tight end is stepping away from professional football.

There comes a day when every player know it's time to put up the cleats. On Tuesday, that day arrived for former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots tight end, Rob Gronkowski.

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According to Jordan Schultz, Gronkowski has decided to retire from professional football at 33 years of age.

Breaking: Rob Gronkowski tells me he’s retiring.

The future first ballot Hall of Famer won four Super Bowls while earning a spot on the NFL’s 100th Anniversary Team and 2010s All-Decade Team.

An all-time great officially hangs em up at 33 years old.

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) June 21, 2022

This comes as a tremendous shock to the Buccaneers and the league. While Gronkowski has publicly flirted with retirement since the conclusion of the 2021 season, there was rising optimism he would join longtime teammate, Tom Brady, for one final run in Tampa Bay.

In April, Gronkowski was spotted working out with Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry. Last month, Brady and Gronkowski took in some batting practice a stones throw away from Raymond James Stadium. It's clear that this is a decision that the future hall of famer has wrestled with for quite a few.

READ MORE: Tom Brady Talks Unretirement and the Future

Retiring for the second and likely final time of his career, Gronkowski finishes his 11 years in the NFL with 621 catches for 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns. While the majority of that production came in New England, he also caught 100 passes for 1,425 yards and 13 touchdowns with the Buccaneers. 

Gronkowski is a four-time superbowl champion after winning three titles with the Patriots (2014, 2016, 2018) and one with the Buccaneers (2020). He holds the record for most 100-yard games by a tight end (32) and the record for most touchdowns by a tight end in the postseason (15).

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have an immediate hole to fill at tight end. It won't be a surprise if the Buccaneers look to the free agent market to see if there are any potential fits.

The franchise has veteran Cameron Brate in the fold as well as recent draft picks, Cade Otton and Ko Kieft. Three other potential options to step up are Codey McElroy and J.J. Howland and Ben Beiese. 

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