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Patriots wanted to trade Rob Gronkowski to the Lions. He threatened to retire instead.

A new report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter paints an image of what the Detroit Lions could have had—a superstar tight end that would have changed how everyone looked at this roster. Unfortunately, that star would have called it quits rather than play for Detroit.

The New England Patriots looked at their superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski as a potential trade offer to the Lions. After their Super Bowl defeat, Gronk had shown hesitation to return for next season. For the Lions it was a chance to fill a position with little talent on their own roster.