Is Rob Gronkowski Heading to Hollywood?

The New England Patriots tight end has hinted he may retire at 28.

Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski #87 of the New England Patriots celebrates a touchdown reception against the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LII. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Getty Images

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, following his team’s Super Bowl loss this month, hinted that he is considering retiring at age 28. This might be a contract negotiation stunt, but, The Guardian writes, if he does retire, the NFL’s loss could be Hollywood’s gain. Sylvester Stallone and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who himself went from wrestling to Hollywood, have been trying to convince Gronk to become an actor. David Arquette has even offered to produce a feature with him. Gronk is still in his prime and earns a base salary of $9 million a year, so it might seem odd that he would consider retiring. But he’s been plagued by injuries his whole career and received a concussion during the AFC Championship game this year. It is impossible not to play in the NFL right now without being aware of the high risk of suffering permanent brain damage. Plus, Gronk already has two Super Bowl rings and has won a lot of awards, like most touchdowns in a season by a tight end. Whenever he leaves the NFL, he will leave as one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history, and most likely will make it to the Hall of Fame. But does he have what it takes to make it big in Hollywood? He actually did appear on Entourage, though that doesn’t mean he can act. But other athletes have famously gone from the field to the stage, like Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras, who famously played reformed bandit Mongo in Blazing Saddles and then starred as the dad in Webster. 

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