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Rob Gronkowski has announced his retirement.

The Patriots star tight end made the announcement on his Instagram account.

“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,” Gronkowski wrote. “I will be retiring from the game of football today.

“I am so grateful for the opportunity that Mr. Kraft and Coach Belichick gave to me when drafting my silliness in 2010. My life experiences over the last 9 years have been amazing both on and off the field. The people I have meet, the relationships I have built, the championships I have been apart of, I just want to thank the whole New England Patriots organization for every opportunity I have been giving and learning the great values of life that I can apply to mine. Thank you to all of Pats Nation around the world for the incredible support since I have been apart of this 1st class organization.

“Thank you for everyone accepting who I am and the dedication I have put into my work to be the best player I could be. But now its time to move forward and move forward with a big smile knowing that the New England Patriots Organization, Pats Nation, and all my fans will be truly a big part of my heart for rest of my life. It was truly an incredible honor to play for such a great established organization and able to come in to continue and contribute to keep building success.

“To all my current and past teammates, thank you for making each team every year special to be apart of. I will truly miss you guys. Cheers to all who have been part of this journey, cheers to the past for the incredible memories, and a HUGE cheers to the uncertain of whats next.”

As Bleacher Report’s Rob Goldberg noted, the 29-year-old who won his third Super Bowl with the Patriots this past season, took until April to officially announce his return to the team after contemplating retirement last season.

He took the same approach this year, albeit with a different outcome.

It’s not a huge surprise.

In 2018, Gronk dealt with back and Achilles injuries and struggled when he was on the field. He finished with 47 catches for 682 receiving yards and only three touchdowns in 13 games.

His 52.5 yards per game were his fewest since his rookie season in 2010.

As Goldberg pointed out, Gronkowski is a likely Hall of Famer, but injuries continue to plague him. He missed 13 regular-season games over the past three seasons and hasn't played a full 16-game season since 2011.

Now, as Profootballtalk.com summed up, “Gronkowski’s retirement leaves a big hole in the Patriots’ offense — and a big hole in the NFL, which just lost one of its most colorful characters.”