New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski said he threatened to retire if he had been traded to the Detroit Lions in the spring.
“Yeah, it happened,” Gronkowski told reporters Sunday night in Detroit after the Lions’ 26-10 win. “(Tom) Brady’s my quarterback, that's all. I wasn't going anywhere without Brady.”
According to an ESPN story published Sunday afternoon, the Lions and Patriots nearly completed a blockbuster trade involving Gronkowski during the week of the 2018 NFL draft, but Gronkowski threatened to retire rather than play for the Lions.
The story said Gronkowski even declined to return phone calls from the Lions.