The appropriate thing happened on Wednesday after Rob Gronkowski officially retired as a member of the New England Patriots. Fans have been pushing for it to happen since the well-loved tight end walked away from the NFL in 2022.
Gronkowski signed a one-day deal with the Patriots, with team owner Robert Kraft in attendance.
The 84-year-old Kraft even joked that they should make it a two-day contract so Gronkowski could suit up versus the New York Jets on Thursday at Gillette Stadium.
“Sure, what’s the signing bonus?” said Gronkowski.
“Nothing’s changed,” replied Kraft.
The 36-year-old Gronkowski, who won three titles with the Patriots, also made an offer to Kraft before signing the ceremonial deal, eliciting laughter from the crowd.
“Straight cash, no taxes. I’ll take a briefcase. Actually, I’ll just take the plane,” said the four-time All-Pro First Team member in the video posted by NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Gronkowski teamed up with Tom Brady and Julian Edelman to lead New England’s dynastic run a decade ago. With his colorful personality and natural charm, Gronkowski was a fan favorite throughout his career. He also helped the community with his charity work.
He first retired in 2019 due to the mental toll. He made a comeback in 2021 after Brady convinced him to join him on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They won the Super Bowl that season, with Gronkowski scoring two touchdowns.
Behind the stellar play of Drake Maye, the Patriots have been on a roll this season with an 8-2 record. They are tied with the Indianapolis and the Denver Broncos at the top of the AFC.
Recent New York Giants running back Matt Breida resurfaced in the news on August 14, as it was revealed that the veteran plans to officially end his NFL career.
“Veteran running back Matt Breida plans to retire after seven NFL seasons, sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Thursday,” ESPN reported in an article via Fowler.
Adding: “The Miami Dolphins recently requested a workout with Breida, but he declined. Breida, 30, finishes his career with 2,652 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns in 98 games for the San Francisco 49ers, Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and New York Giants. He also had 120 receptions for 935 yards and six touchdown catches.”
Breida played his last regular season game with the G-Men in 2023, appearing in all 17 of the Giants’ contests that year.
Breida was a role player who chipped in on special teams and offense with Big Blue. He was well-liked and well-regarded by teammates and fans, although it was clear that his game had lost a step during that final season, as his yards per carry average plummeted from 4.1 YPC to 2.7 YPC during his second campaign with the Giants.
Per ESPN, “Breida spent time in training camp last year with the 49ers but was released before the season and didn’t play in 2024.”
The Giants have undergone a clear youth movement at running back, outside of veteran Devin Singletary. And 2025 could be his final season on the roster, considering Big Blue can save $5.25 million by cutting Singletary before free agency next spring.
General manager Joe Schoen has practiced a relatively simple strategy at the position since taking over. Draft a running back every year, and don’t overspend on the position in free agency.
So far, the organization has compiled Eric Gray, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Cam Skattebo, and promising UDFA Dante Miller over the past three offseasons. That’s not a bad haul, with Gray being the biggest disappointment of the bunch so far.
Of course, it’s not like Schoen is reinventing the wheel here. The majority of NFL teams have gotten away from paying running backs, utilizing the draft and the UDFA market as a way to restock and retool with fresh legs.
Sometimes you hit on these rookie fliers, sometimes you don’t, but the commitment is very low-risk.
Breida was a low-risk veteran, in his own right, but it’s a young man’s position, and sadly, few RBs make it past 30 in the modern-day NFL.
The Giants held a light walk-through practice ahead of their second preseason game against the New York Jets on August 14, but there will be no rest for the starters on Saturday, August 16.
“[Head coach Brian] Daboll said after playing the starters in the preseason opener, ‘We’ll do it again. We’re going to play in the preseason. People that are able to play are going to play,’” The Athletic’s Dan Duggan relayed on Thursday.
Defense and pass rush dominated the joint practices this week, as both the Jets and Giants’ defensive lines flexed their muscles throughout.
According to Duggan and colleague Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic, the Giants appeared to sack Jets QB Justin Fields four times on August 13.
“Similar to Tuesday, there were moments when it was hard to tell exactly who was causing problems as the Giants sent multiple bodies in the backfield,” they wrote. “Fields, who went 7-of-11 on the day, had a few overthrows on plays that likely were sacks. Outside linebacker Brian Burns especially stood out, notching at least one sack.”
Despite their success rushing the quarterback, the Giants’ defense did allow Fields and the Jets to break free on a few long running plays.