Rob Gronkowski

Rob Gronkowski

34-Year-Old Tight EndTE
 Free Agent  
2023 Fantasy Outlook
There was no outlook written for Rob Gronkowski in 2023. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.
$Signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Buccaneers in March of 2021.
Contacts Bucs, but staying retired
TEFree Agent
December 23, 2022
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles disclosed Friday that Gronkowski contacted the team last month about a possible return to the team, but the tight end ultimately elected to remain retired for the time being, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports. "It was more of a conversation than anything else," Bowles said. "Usually, when you have to think about playing, you probably don't want to play. When it's just a discussion, I didn't think much of it at the time."
ANALYSIS
In June, Gronkowski announced that he had retired from professional football for a second time, but six months later, the five-time Pro Bowler doesn't sound like he's completely closed the door on playing again. According to the report, Gronkowski told Bowles that he's been working out in preparation for a possible return, and though the two sides didn't come to terms on a contract, it wouldn't be surprising if the 33-year-old and the Buccaneers revisited those discussions heading into the 2023 season. Any motivation Gronkowski may have in resuming his career may hinge on the plans of longtime battery mate Tom Brady, the only full-time starting quarterback that the tight end has ever played with.
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2021
2020
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Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Rob Gronkowski lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
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2023 Rob Gronkowski Split Stats
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Measurables Review View College Player Page
How do Rob Gronkowski's measurables compare to other tight ends?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
* All metrics are from his Pro Day (not the combine).
Height
6' 6"
 
Weight
265 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.68 sec
 
Shuttle Time
4.47 sec
 
Cone Drill
7.18 sec
 
Vertical Jump
33.5 in
 
Broad Jump
119 in
 
Bench Press
23 reps
 
Hand Length
10.75 in
 
Arm Length
34.25 in
 
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Rob Gronkowski See More
NFL Game Previews: Monday Wild-Card Matchups
67 days ago
Erik Siegrist previews the Monday wild-card games as Baker Mayfield and the Bucs take on the Eagles in the nightcap.
NFL Game Previews: Week 18 Matchups
74 days ago
Erik Siegrist previews the Sunday games in Week 18 as Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins host the Bills with the AFC East title on the line.
NFL Injury Analysis: Goedert Could Return Before Season End
133 days ago
Jeff Stotts discusses Week 9's notable injuries, starting in Philadelphia, where Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert will miss time after fracturing his forearm in the team's win over the Cowboys.
Dynasty Watch: Pre-Combine TE Rankings
February 22, 2023
Tight end evaluations don't get much easier than with Michael Mayer, a first-round lock and likely fantasy standout.
Target Breakdown: Week 9 WR/TE Usage Recap & Week 10 Waivers Preview
November 8, 2022
Things haven't gone as planned for the Cardinals, Panthers and Chargers, but all three got encouraging Week 9 performances from their 2021 Day 2 picks at wide receiver.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
With fellow ex-Patriot Tom Brady returning to Tampa Bay, the chances of Gronk giving it one more year looked pretty good, but he ultimately announced his retirement in June. If he eventually changes his mind, a la Brady, Gronkowski likely would still be able to produce. At this stage, however, the 33-year-old insists he has no plans to resume his NFL career. Despite missing five games last year and being hampered by back and rib injuries in a few others, he ranked seventh among tight ends with 802 yards and caught six touchdowns. Brady's affinity for throwing to tight ends by the goal line would give the four-time 1,000-yard receiver plenty of opportunities to add to his career total of 92 touchdowns, but for now it'll likely be Cam Brate seeing most of the TE targets in Tampa.
From a statistical standpoint, Gronkowski's first year in Tampa Bay looked a lot like his final season in New England, with the future Hall of Famer settling in as a complementary player in the passing game. Everything else about Gronk's 2020 season went exactly as planned, ending with a parade in February. He started 16 games in the regular season and four more in the playoffs, apparently benefitting from his year away from football in 2019. While a return to fantasy stardom doesn't seem especially likely at this point, Gronkowski's two-TD effort in the Super Bowl showed he's still capable of stealing the show. Another full season might be too much to ask, but that's more about his injury history than his age. And while he’s quite clearly lost a step, Gronkowski is still a solid starter and a useful red-zone weapon, playing in a high-scoring, pass-happy offense with QB Tom Brady.
Gronkowski resisted the urge to rejoin New England for a playoff run last year, but the chance to reunite with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay was perfect motivation to put his retirement (and his pro wrestling career) to the side. The last time we saw him on a football field was Super Bowl LIII, where Gronk had 87 yards on seven targets and set up the game-winning TD with a diving catch between two defenders. But his final year in New England was otherwise disappointing, with the veteran handling his usual every-down role (91.3 percent snap share) and maintaining his per-target efficiency (9.5 YPT) yet drawing only 5.5 passes per game (down from 7.5 in 2017). The Bucs won't necessarily ask Gronkowski to occupy a three-down role, and while a lightened workload might help him stay healthy, it could also prevent a volume rebound. He's no higher than third in the pass-game pecking order, with wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin coming off 1,000-yard seasons. Then there's the matter of 25-year-old tight end O.J. Howard, who flopped hard in 2019 but still has rare physical gifts and a career 10.3 YPT. While trade rumors persist, the Bucs seem to prefer hanging on to Howard, and they even have Cameron Brate for the No. 3 TE spot. Looking on the bright side, Tampa Bay should have enough scoring chances for everyone to get in on the fun if Brady/Gronk Pt. II is a smash hit.
Few tight ends ever have made the fantasy impact Gronkowski did, but injuries and low-aiming defenders took their toll on his big frame over the last couple years, and he decided to call it a career during the offseason. Gronk thus ends his career with four 1,000-yard seasons, five double-digit touchdown campaigns, and the second-most receiving yards in Patriots history. A committee featuring Benjamin Watson, Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Matt LaCosse will be tasked with replacing the fan favorite in New England, but none of those players possesses close to the fantasy ceiling that Gronkowski routinely brought to the table. It would be quite surprising if Gronkowski mounted a late-season comeback, but it's an unlikely scenario that can't be completely ruled out.
Everyone knows what they're signing up for with Gronkowski - a lot of laughs, a lot of touchdowns and a lot of injury-report angst (he's missed 26 games in six years, and hasn't played 16 games since 2011). Gronkowski's rate of spiking - 76 scores in 102 games - is absurd, especially for a tight end, and he's also more of a downfield threat than people realize; his 15.1 YPC is the highest of any qualified tight end in the fantasy era. At 6-6, 265, he's still impossible to cover, with a huge catch radius, good hands and the athleticism to line up anywhere on the field. With Tom Brady and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels returning to the Patriots, amidst whatever family disharmony might be present with this team, Gronkowski is well slotted for another dynamic year, for however many games that winds up lasting. He's finished as the No. 1 tight end in standard scoring four times, and he's also been second once and fifth once. No one would be shocked if Gronkowski decided to retire in another year or two, but he's all-in for another run at it in 2018. A designer tight end is not for everybody, but Gronk deserves consideration in the second or third round in most formats.
When Gronkowski plays a full season, or the majority of one, he's money in the bank. He's ranked first, fifth, first and first in tight-end PPR scoring in his four most productive seasons, and one of those years was only an 11-game campaign. His touchdown rate was oddly down last year, but he also averaged a ridiculous 21.6 yards per catch. With Tom Brady still churning along at a high rate, Gronkowski enters every season as a threat to score double-digit touchdowns. But the obvious fly in the ointment is that Gronk gets hurt, a lot. He missed 24 games in the last five years, with a laundry list of injuries: forearm, back, hip, hamstring. Last year it was a strained back, a punctured lung and a pectoral strain. Gronkowski looked healthy at press time; he was a full participant at May OTAs, and the team didn't even bother to hold him out of rain-marred practice sessions. Spring is the most optimistic time on the NFL calendar, but it's encouraging to see Gronkowski doing his thing without reservation. Tight end is one of the biggest collision positions in the NFL, so almost anyone you grab is going to be subject to risk. Are you upside- or floor-driven with your early picks? That probably answers how to approach Gronkowski in 2017.
Another chapter was added to the Legend of Gronk last season. Gronkowski set an NFL record for tight ends with his fifth double-digit TD season, averaged 16.3 YPC to tie (Vernon Davis) for the highest of any 50-catch TE since 1979 and led the position in yards for the third time in his career, a number only three TE since the merg-er have exceeded. And those three - Tony Gonzalez (7), Shannon Sharpe (5), Todd Christensen (4)- needed 17, 14 and 10 seasons, respectively. Gronk has played six (and two were cut short by injury). He led TE last season with five 100-yard games (no other had more than three) and never went more than two weeks without scoring. He also led the position with 22 catches of 20-plus yards (4th in the NFL) and five of 40-plus. All of which is to illustrate the obvious – Gronk is unstoppable. His burst in and out of cuts, huge catch radius, massive hands, speed and size are too much for slower linebackers and smaller DBs, whether it's at the goal line (11 targets inside the 10, five TDs) or in the open field (549 YAC, 1st). A knee injury cost him Week 13, but health is less a concern this year after consecutive 15-game seasons. And while the Patriots signed Martellus Bennett, the last time Gronk shared the position for a full season - in 2011 with Aaron Hernandez - he went 90-1,327-17.
Gronkowski's status as the league's best tight end was never doubted, but his durability entering last season caused the risk-averse to hesitate after he missed 14 games the previous two years and was coming off ACL and MCL surgeries. Gronkowski was still getting healthy when the season started last year and averaged just three receptions for 37 yards in the first four games as Tom Brady and the offense struggled with the team's playmaker at less than 100 percent. It didn't take long for him to put injury concerns to rest, however. Weeks 5-16 he averaged six catches and 88 yards a game. He also scored nine touchdowns in that span as his surgically repaired knee was no concern. Gronkowski led tight ends in yards, touchdowns (tied) and catches of 20-plus yards (19), and he did it in 15 games because he sat out a meaningless Week 17. At 6-6, 265, with 4.68 speed, a huge wingspan (34-inch arms) and good leaping ability (34-inch vertical), Gronkowski is simply uncoverable. He's too fast for linebackers and too big and physical for defensive backs. The Patriots line him up in tight, in the slot and split wide, creating mismatches he easily exploits. In the red zone he is nearly unstoppable, catching 11 of 16 targets for nine touchdowns last season. With Jimmy Graham now in a run-first offense in Seattle, Gronkowski is in a tier of his own.
Gronkowski missed the first six games last year recovering from forearm and back surgeries stemming from the previous season and then missed the last three weeks after tearing his ACL and MCL. The seven weeks between, though, were an incredible display of sheer talent. Over 16 games, Gronkowski's yardage pace would have broken his own NFL record for receiving yards by a tight end set in 2011. His 11.9 fantasy points a game ranked second to only Jimmy Graham (13.6). His 10 plays of 20-plus yards ranked eighth -- or the same number Julius Thomas had in twice as many games. More telling for the Patriots, their passing offense ranked 17th in the league in the first six weeks and 18th in the last three weeks without Gronkowski. In his seven games, he elevated the New England passing game to third in the league. And he did it all against double teams, extra safety help and defensive gameplans designed to take him out. At 6-6, 265, with good speed, great hands and Tom Brady at quarterback, Gronkowski is nearly impossible to defend. Of course, no one questions his skills. It's his durability that's worrisome. As the preseason closed, his recovery from knee surgery was on schedule, and with no reported setbacks, Gronkowski is on track to play in Week 1.
Gronkowski was putting up historically good numbers for the second year in a row when a broken forearm derailed him in Week 11. He missed the next five games before returning Week 17 only to break his arm again in the divisional round of the playoffs. He ultimately required four arm surgeries, as an infection complicated matters. When healthy Gronkowski was easily the league's best tight end. He averaged 13.2 fantasy points per game in standard formats, tops among tight ends and third among all receivers, and his 11 receiving touchdowns ranked fourth among all receivers – this despite playing only 11 games. At 6-6, 265, Gronkowski is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. Using his size, Gronkowski can cut inside or out, shielding the defender from making a legal play on the ball. As a result he's made several highlight-reel diving catches in the end zone of which few tight ends are capable. Gronkowski's 17 red-zone targets last year were second among tight ends to Heath Miller, who had only three more despite playing four more games. The bottom line: Gronkowski's health is the only thing capable of slowing him down, and it just might as he also had back surgery in mid-June that typically requires a 12-week recovery, putting his return date sometime in September. As a result, there's a decent chance Gronkowski misses a game or two, and it's even possible the team places him on the PUP list, forcing him to sit out the season's first six weeks.
Although he shared targets with Aaron Hernandez (124-113), Gronkowski posted the best statistical season for a tight end in NFL history. His 1,327 receiving yards were not only the most ever by a tight end but were sixth overall in the league last season. His 18 touchdowns – 17 receiving and one rushing – were also a single-season record for the position. Hernandez turned in a noteworthy season himself and actually was targeted by Tom Brady more often in the red zone (25-24) and a surprising 10 more times inside the 10-yard line (17-7) than Gronkowski, all while playing two fewer games. At 6-6, 260 and with great hands, Gronkowski snared 73 percent of his targets, tops among qualified tight ends. He also benefited from running the tight end routes in the Patriots offense, as opposed to Hernandez’s usual underneath routes, which gave Gronkowski a distinct advantage up the seam against undersized linebackers and safeties. That, and a brutal stiff arm, allowed him to post a position-high 22 catches of 20-plus yards. Gronkowski, who averaged 10.7 yards per target, got stronger as the season wore on. Over the final nine regular season games, he totaled 77 targets, 12 receiving touchdowns and 832 receiving yards.A couple possible hiccups loom, however. The most obvious is the ankle injury he suffered in the playoffs. He underwent ankle surgery in early February and was in a walking boot through April. He’s expected to be ready for the season, though the injury should be monitored in training camp. Perhaps more significant is the Patriots’ addition of Brandon Lloyd, which likely will cost Gronkowski looks. And, of course, Hernandez is still around, vying for tight-end targets.
New England drafted two tight ends last season – Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez – which worked out well for the Patriots but made things difficult for fantasy owners. Gronkowski finished with 10 touchdowns, tied for the best mark at the position, though three scores (and 156 yards) came in the final two games when he got extra targets because Hernandez was sidelined. Gronkowski and Hernandez negated each other's value for much of the season as both were used interchangeably. Gronkowski had a monster game Week 10 at Pittsburgh with three touchdowns and 72 receiving yards, but also had seven scoreless weeks with no more than 25 yards receiving. Gronkowski received 16 red-zone targets in 16 games to Hernandez's 10 in 14 games. Should Hernandez go down with injury an again, Gronskowski's value would soar. Tom Brady likes to look for his tight end near the goal line (the duo combined for 16 targets inside the 10), and that would benefit the 6-6, 265-pound Gronkowski, who is also considered the better blocker of the two. With Hernandez healthy, though, Gronkowski will have to settle for splitting targets again this season.
The second tight end taken in the 2010 draft, Gronkowski could emerge as the starter for the Patriots at some point this season. A mammoth target at 6-6, 264, Gronkowski will look to fill the void left by Ben Watson and Chris Baker. Of slight concern is his injury history — he missed 16 games his last two college seasons, including all of 2009 with a back problem. Alge Crumpler likely will begin the year as the starter, mentoring both Gronkowski and fellow rookie Aaron Hernandez. But the rookies have more upside and likely will be utilized in the red zone while Crumpler focuses on blocking.
More Fantasy News
Not expected to play in 2022
TEFree Agent
September 11, 2022
The Buccaneers aren't counting on Gronkowski resuming his playing career in 2022 after the tight end previously announced his second retirement in June, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
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No plans to play this year
TEFree Agent
July 14, 2022
Gronkowski reiterated Tuesday that he has no plans to resume his playing career, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
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Retires from NFL
TEFree Agent
June 21, 2022
Gronkowski announced his retirement Tuesday, NFL reporter Jordan Schultz reports.
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Bucs reportedly remain optimistic
TEFree Agent
June 5, 2022
Though Gronkowski remains a free agent, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times suggests that the Buccaneers are optimistic the tight end will re-sign with the team sometime before training camp.
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Playing status TBD
TEFree Agent
April 5, 2022
At this stage, Gronkowski isn't ready to commit to playing this coming season, ESPN.com and NFL.com relay.
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