Rob Gronkowski has retired from the NFL, but he isn’t finished with football yet.
The former New England Patriots tight end, 30 — famously nicknamed “Gronk” — will be joining the team at Fox Sports as a football analyst, the network announced on Tuesday, according to ESPN.
His first appearance on the show will be this Thursday during the pregame segment for the Patriots home game against the New York Giants, joining Terry Bradshaw, Michael Strahan and Tony Gonzalez.
Gronkowski’s former teammate and quarterback Tom Brady reportedly said he’s sure the retired player will have some “hard-hitting analysis” for viewers.
“He’ll be good,” said Brady, who played with Gronkowski from 2010 to 2018. “He’s been good at everything he’s done. I didn’t know that, that’s good for him. Good opportunity.”
“That’s great,” Brady added. “It’s great to a lot of our guys get a lot of great opportunities like that.”
Gronkowski announced his retirement from professional football in March at just 29, after spending nine seasons playing for the Patriots.
“It all started at 20 years old on stage at the NFL draft when my dream came true, and now here I am about to turn 30 in a few months with a decision I feel is the biggest of my life so far. I will be retiring from the game of football today,” he wrote on Instagram at the time, alongside a shot of himself celebrating the team’s latest Super Bowl win.
He went on to thank team owner Robert Kraft, 78, and head coach Bill Belichick, 67.
“My life experiences over the last 9 years have been amazing both on and off the field,” Gronkowski continued. “The people I have met, the relationships I have built, the championships I have been [a part] of, I just want to thank the whole New England Patriots organization for every opportunity.”
The three-time Super Bowl winner scored 79 touchdowns during his time with the team, according to ESPN, and holds numerous records for a tight end — including having 10 or more touchdown receptions in five seasons.
He recently opened up to CBS News about his time on the field and the many health scares he faced due to the high contact environment of the sport.
“The surgeries [were] adding up, the lifestyle I was living, just the constant hits I was taking,” Gronkowski told the outlet in September. “The inflammation was just storing up in my body and when inflammation’s in your body, you’re working at a slower rate. You’re not at the speed you want to be at. And I knew that. I felt that, over the last two years.”
“I would let my son play football, but first off, I would educate him on the game — educate him on what I went through — and I truly believe that any injury that you receive is fixable, though,” he said. “I went through it. I had nine surgeries. Probably had 20 concussions in my life, no lie. I remember five blackout ones.”
While Gronkowski has teased that he planned to come out of retirement, it seems he’s found a new calling with his TV gig.
“I’m extremely excited to be joining FOX Sports,” Gronkowski said in a statement, adding that he’s excited to learn from the team as he embarks “on this new chapter.”
The Patriots face off against the Giants on Tuesday (8:20 p.m. ET) on Fox.
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