Gronkowski: Retirement could end in three months or three years

Rob Gronkowski toys with Patriots fans’ emotions in discussing possible un-retirement

Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski holds a news conference announcing his advocacy for CBD on Tuesday in New York.

Aug. 27, 2019 9:28 AM PT

Rob Gronkowski took New England Patriots fans on an emotional roller-coaster ride Tuesday morning.

Five months after retiring from the NFL, the five-time Pro Bowl tight end revealed he might possibly ... brace yourselves, Patriots fans.

“If I have the desire to play football again, if I feel passionate about football again, if I’m feeling like I need to be out there on the field, I will go back to football,” Gronkowski said.

Cue Patriots fans squealing with delight.

Then the other shoe dropped.

“But as of right now, that is not the case,” the three-time Super Bowl champion said.

Cue a collective groan from Patriots fans.

Gronkowski continued: “It could be the case in six months, it could be the case in two years. It could be the case in three years. It could be the case in three months.”

Wait, did he say three months? Cue Patriots fans scrambling for their calendars to see who the Patriots play in late November (That would be the Dallas Cowboys in Foxborough on Nov. 24. Yipee!).

But that is kind of late in the season. Hey, Gronk, any chance you might be able to move that timeline up a bit?

He continued: “I truly don’t see it in the foreseeable future, like in a week or a month. No.”

Damn.

Gronkowski’s comments came during a news conference in New York, where he announced his partnership with CBDMedic as an advocate for athletes’ use of CBD products for pain relief and recovery. He discussed the quad injury he sustained during the Patriots’ Super Bowl victory over the Rams in February.

“I got done with the game and I could barely walk,” he said. “I slept five minutes that night. I couldn’t even think. I was in tears in my bed after a Super Bowl victory. ... And then, for four weeks, I couldn’t even sleep for more than 20 minutes a night.”

Gronkowski got emotional when addressing fans about his decision to retire a month later at age 29.

“I want to be clear to my fans, I needed to recover,” he said. “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. I really was, and I was fighting through it. ... And I knew I just have to fix myself.

“And I believe I have the tools, I have the people around me, I have CBDMedic team around me now to help me deal with my pain whenever I need it. ... And I am very satisfied with where I am in life now. And I truly believe going through those tough times, nine years, off the field, on the field, has brought me to this point. And I believe I’m on the right path in my life.”

That’s something that should definitely elicit cheers from all Patriots fans, as well as any compassionate human being.