Rob Gronkowski is taking a walk down memory lane and sharing what he misses most about playing in the NFL.
Gronkowski played for 11 seasons in the NFL, and in an exclusive interview with ClutchPoints, the four-time Super Bowl champion shared what he misses most about hitting the field.
“[What] I miss most about just being in the locker room with the guys for real and running out of that tunnel and just feeling all the fans' energy,” Gronkowski explained, per his partnership with Bounty. “[At] away games, getting booed, like you just felt it. It was a very special moment, but just being part of a team every day, just feeling accomplished, knowing that you went to battle with your teammates in a game or in practice.”
The last game that Gronkowski played in his NFL career was when he was on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2021 NFC Divisional Playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams. When asked what he would be most excited about if he were to suit up for one more game, he didn't hesitate to share his favorite part.
“The most exciting part would be scoring a touchdown for sure,” Gronkowski revealed. “You know, making a catch, suiting up for the game in front of everyone, running out of the tunnel and just getting amped up.”
He continued,”But making a touchdown play is what was so special about football. It was always a thrill.”
In Gronkowski's career, he had 92 total regular-season touchdowns and 15 playoff receiving touchdowns, which is an NFL record for a tight end. His highest number of receiving touchdowns in a single season was 17, which was during the 2011 season with the New England Patriots.
While Gronkowski doesn't have plans to hit the field again, the retired Patriots star is still much involved with the game in his post-NFL lifestyle. In September 2025, he joined Fox's NFL coverage as a studio analyst full-time on the Fox NFL Sunday crew to replace Jimmy Johnson, who announced his retirement from the role. He first joined Fox as an analyst on October 2019, on Thursday Night Football. Gronk then stepped away to play his final two seasons in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Earlier in the interview, Gronkowski shared how he and Tom Brady, who was his teammate on both the Patriots and Buccaneers, support one another.
Article Continues Below“I mean, we've helped each other by just making each other feel comfortable,” Gronkowski said.
Brady has a “whole different preparation” from him, given that he's a lead NFL color analyst at FOX Sports, but they are still there to support one another.
“But what makes us feel good about it is that we know that we're there for each other if anything. Sometimes segments running to each other, we roll into each other and it's always great, people love it,” he added. “The connection that we have at Fox coming from the football field is just phenomenal.”