Ever since they selected him in the second round of the NFL’s 2010 draft, Rob Gronkowski served as the undisputed leader of the New England Patriots’ tight end depth chart and one of the most dynamic and dominant weapons in all of football. When he announced his retirement during the 2019 offseason, the Patriots therefore lost one of their offensive focal points and a player who was capable of making game-changing plays no matter the situation or opponent.
Losing the future Hall of Famer was a blow to a unit that already had to deal with other personnel turnover last year.