Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski says he skipped the team’s voluntary workouts in May because he wanted to keep his body “fresh” and take both a mental and physical break from football.
Gronkowski — who says he’s “definitely ready” to return to the field now — told Sports Illustrated‘s Ben Raskin the rationale behind sitting out OTAs was the same rationale behind considering retirement earlier this offseason. Amid reports about his unhappiness in New England, Gronkowski had remained non-committal about the upcoming season for several months after Super Bowl LII.
“I was seeing how I was recovering, how my body was feeling,” Gronkowski told Raskin.