FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — There was a joyous moment Wednesday when owner Robert Kraft welcomed Rob Gronkowski to Gillette Stadium to sign a ceremonial one-day contract to retire as a member of the New England Patriots, fulfilling the wish of Gronkowski's late friend Susan Hurley.
As Kraft began his presentation, he turned to Gronkowski and said, “By the way, since we're playing the [New York] Jets [Thursday] night, how about a two-day contract?”
Gronkowski was quick with the response.
“Let's do it!” he said with his characteristic exuberance. “What's the signing bonus?”
To which Kraft responded with a smile: “Nothing has changed!”
RKK: “How about a 2-day contract?”@RobGronkowski: “What's the signing bonus?” đŸ˜‚ pic.twitter.com/CSMgZ08ddp
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 12, 2025
It was a day of good vibes for Gronkowski, 36, who played for the Patriots from 2010 to 2018 and then finished his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020-21. Gronkowski, who was joined by his girlfriend Camille Kostek and former teammates David Andrews, Brian Hoyer and Rob Ninkovich, won three Super Bowls with the Patriots and another with the Buccaneers.
He called the first Super Bowl in New England (a 28-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on February 1, 2015) his favorite memory as a Patriot because of the game itself and the celebration that followed.
“This means a lot to me. A lot. I'm a New England Patriot. I'll be a Patriot for life,” he said. “My career started here and I had to finish 100% here, there is no doubt about that.
“The whole 'Gronk' personality, everything about me, was because the New England fans, my teammates and everyone else here accepted me from the beginning.”
Gronkowski will serve as Keeper of the Light before Thursday's game against the Jets (8:15 p.m. ET), ringing the bell atop the Gillette Stadium lighthouse.
“It's going to be special,” he said, adding that he will address the crowd at halftime.
