Rob Gronkowski signed a one-day contract in Foxboro, Massachusetts on Wednesday to officially retire as a member of the New England Patriots.

"I'm a New England Patriot, I'm a Patriot for life," Gronkowski said. "My career started here, 100% needed to end here, there's no doubt about that."

"Gronk," one of the best tight ends to ever play football, was known for his signature endzone spikes to celebrate scoring touchdowns. He spent nine seasons in New England after they drafted him in 2010 as a second-round pick, and won three Super Bowls. Gronkowski announced his retirement in 2019, but returned to the league the next year, teaming up with Tom Brady to win another championship with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

"One of the greatest ever"

"Today we're going to celebrate one of the greatest ever to wear our Patriots uniform in Rob Gronkowski," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said. "His energy, talent and infectious joy ... lit up a stadium and inspired Patriots Nation for nearly a decade."

Gronkowski thanked Patriots fans for embracing the "Gronk" persona.

"They just took who I was and they blew it up to a whole other level," he said. "Me doing silly things off the field, they didn't care, they were like 'oh that's Gronk.' I got a free pass because of the fans accepting everything."

Gronkowski reflected on achieving his "ultimate goal" as a Patriot - winning Super Bowls.

"That first one will always be my favorite one," he said. "Just the feeling and the energy that came with it throughout that whole entire week after, that will be a memory for life. The parade, the duck boats, all that."

Gronkowski talked about retiring as a Patriot this summer when he attended the grand opening of "Gronk Playground" along the Charles River in Boston. Speaking at the ceremony was Susan Hurley, a former Patriots cheerleader and founder of CharityTeams, which helps nonprofits raise money through athletic events like the Boston Marathon and also worked with Gronk on his charitable efforts. 

Hurley said a $1.8 million donation from Gronkowski and his youth foundation to make Gronk Playground a reality "proves that his heart will be forever in Foxboro."

"And I'm going out on a limb here," Hurley said, addressing Patriots owner Robert Kraft. "Now can we just make it official and sign him for a day so he can retire as a Patriot?"  

Remembering Susan Hurley

Afterward, Gronkowski told reporters that he would absolutely retire as a Patriot thanks to Hurley, who was battling stage four cancer at the time.

"The reason we're really going to do that is because of Susan Hurley," he said. "She wants to see that happen and has been dreaming about it happening for a while."

Hurley died earlier this month at 62 years old. 

"She always had a smile on her face and the utmost positivity, staying an inspiration for runners and charities every single day, even while she was fighting cancer," Gronkowski wrote in an Instagram tribute. "Her strength and resilience were truly inspirational, and she will be greatly missed."