Rob Gronkowski Weighing in on Why He Retired Should Wake Every Critic up

Rob Gronkowski took a lot of flack for retiring when he did. Many criticized him for robbing fans and the league of what could have been the undisputed best career a tight end has ever had.

But what none of them knew was what led him to that choice. It wasn't selfish. He himself admitted that his physical well-being was at risk, and that should be enough to wake up those who tried to tear him down.

"I was not in a good place," he said, fighting back tears. "Football was bringing me down." He also said that after winning his third ring with the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII, he "could barely walk," and that he "slept five minutes that night."

His words are especially poignant in the context of Andrew Luck's retirement. The former Indianapolis Colts quarterback is receiving undue criticism after choosing to step away from football due to injuries following his age-29 season much like Gronkowski did.

The tight end's heartwrenching words speak to the harsh reality of football that far too few people care to think about. The game exacts a physical toll on the body that even the most well-conditioned athletes have trouble handling. Gronk was a 6-foot-6, 265-pound force of nature when he played, yet he endured unspeakable pain.

These are not just laboring drones (or fantasy football drones!) we're talking about. They're human beings. They feel each hit they take, even if they might not show it. It's time to stop browbeating them for leaving the game when they've had enough and start understanding that they're simply trying to keep their lives and futures intact.