Tom Brady reacts to Rob Gronkowski’s retirement announcement

Tom Brady, Gronk's best friend and longtime teammate, congratulated him via an Instagram post.

After Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement from the NFL, the sports world waited patiently for Tom Brady's reaction. Brady took no time in congratulating Gronk posting to his Instagram shortly after the announcement.

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A post shared by Tom Brady (@tombrady)

What Rob Gronkowski meant to Tom Brady is summed up in the first sentence. A teammate, friend, and brother. Nothing encapsulates the duo's relationship more than those three words. The pair have been tied together since Gronk entered the league as tight end for the New England Patriots and that continued when both moved onto the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

READ MORE: Rob Gronkowski shares message to Bucs fanbase 

They have experience huge success on the football field, winning four Super Bowls together. Along the on-field success came Hall of Fame numbers. The pair combined for 620 catches for 9,275 yards and scored 93 touchdowns in 141 games. The level of success that followed these two seems hard to match and may never be seen again.

Off the field Brady and Gronk became best of friends, brothers. The two were almost seemingly always making time to spend with each other. Whether that was training playing baseball in the off-season or their short series with the Buccaneers' "Tommy & Gronky" they always seemed to have the best of time when each others' company.

READ MORE: Gronkowski is retiring from playing football

Brady and Gronk. Gronk and Brady. It will be difficult not to hear the two mentioned in the same sentence in future NFL seasons, but I don't expect this is the last we hear of them making news together.

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