Rob Gronkowski explains why he won’t be at optional workouts

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski won’t be at optional workouts, and he has a reason for it.

Gronkowski said he has some recreational activities to practice instead — namely, dirt-biking.

Asked Gronkowski if he plans on participating in the optional workouts coming up. "No." Why? "I've got dirt-biking skills to work on."

— Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) April 21, 2018

For context, Gronkowski made the remarks at a motocross event. Still, just what the Patriots want to hear, no doubt.

Gronkowski’s offseason has been a strange one. He’s been surrounded by retirement rumors, though that may well be a ploy for a different reason. This is a typical Gronkowski answer, but it’s going to be read into on account of the fact that his future is murky, and it’s unclear how warm his relationship with Bill Belichick and the Patriots really is.