Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement from the National Football League (NFL) on Tuesday. 

“I want to thank the whole entire first class Buccaneers organization for an amazing ride, trusting me to come back to play and help build a championship team. I will now be going back into my retirement home, walking away from football again with my head held high knowing I gave it everything I had, good or bad, every time I stepped out on the field,” Gronkowski wrote in a statement shared on his social media handle. 

“The friendships and relationships I have made will last forever, and I appreciate every single one of my teammates and coaches for giving everything they had as well. From retirement, back to football and winning another championship and now back to chilling out, thank you to all,” he said.

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Robert James Gronkowski is a former NFL player who played in the league for 11 seasons. 

He played his first nine seasons for the New England Patriots, and then his final two for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Gronkowski, a four-time Super Bowl winner, was born on May 14, 1989, in Amherst, New York, to Gordon Gronkowski and Diane Walters.

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He began his football journey at the University of Arizona, where he won multiple awards, including the Freshman All-American title by Rivals.com and Sporting News.

Gronkowski was drafted by the Patriots as the 42nd pick in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. 

He played as a blocker and receiver, and set several NFL records, including most career postseason receiving touchdowns and receiving yards by a tight end. 

He also made the record for the most receiving yards (297) and combined receptions (23) by a tight end in the history of the Super Bowl.