Five-time Pro Bowler Rob Gronkowski was living his best life Saturday, appearing on stage with rapper Vanilla Ice and, for some reason, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, at a charity event in Naples, Florida. Farfetched as that scenario may seem (it sounds like an unhinged fever dream born from eating a regrettable amount of Chinese takeout), it did indeed happen with attendee JC Cornell, for fear someone might think he was hallucinating, capturing the whole thing on video.
Along with Vanilla Ice and Michelangelo, the veteran tight end was joined by former Patriots teammates Tom Brady and Julian Edelman with all proceeds from Saturday’s fundraiser going to the Gronk Youth Foundation. Almost a month into free agency, Gronk doesn’t appear any closer to making a decision on his NFL future, weighing whether to return for a 12th season or call it quits, content with his four Super Bowl rings and 93 career touchdowns, the third-most by a tight end in NFL history.
Some have posited Gronkowski is waiting for clarity on where Brady will be playing this season amid speculation the 44-year-old may be plotting a trade to Miami or San Francisco. Another working theory is that Gronk, conscious of his mileage after years of wear and tear at one of football’s most physically demanding positions, would rather save his bullets for the regular season, preferring to sign closer to Week 1. Among tight ends, only Mark Andrews and Travis Kelce averaged more yards per game than Gronkowski in 2021 (66.8).
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