Much to the relief of defensive coordinators, end zones and footballs — and to the dismay of party boats, keg suppliers and content aggregators — Rob Gronkowski announced Tuesday that he was (again) retiring from the N.F.L. This time, he means it.
Gronkowski revealed his plans on Instagram, where he often shares merry tidbits of his merry life, such as the Gronk Beach extravaganza in Las Vegas and clips promoting the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, which he co-hosted in April. Of course he did.
Across his 11 N.F.L. seasons, Gronkowski, 33, a very serious football player with a very unserious personality, leavened the stodgy league with sort of a playful destructiveness.