Rob Gronkowski is seeking a new deal with the New England Patriots heading into the 2018 season, but the star tight end insists he never gave consideration to not showing up for work until he gets one.
With several players across the league holding out for more money, long-term security or both, Gronkowski was asked at the start of Patriots training camp on Thursday if he thought about going that route.
#Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski, who took the field today without a reworked contract, was asked if he considered holding out: “No. Haven’t come close to considering that. No even one bit. What I can do is keep preparing, keep showing up every day. Keep doing what I got to do.”
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 26, 2018
Gronkowski, like Tom Brady, chose not to attend voluntary workouts throughout the offseason, but he has shown up to all mandatory sessions. That could be a sign that he and the Patriots have made progress toward a new contract, or perhaps he simply isn’t the type to hold out for more money.
Last year, the Patriots restructured Gronk’s contract to include more than $5 million in incentives for 2017. He ended up meeting all of them and making nearly $11 million, and he probably feels he is deserving of a salary close to that number without having to meet escalators.
There have been some rumblings that the Patriots tried to trade Gronkowski, but he says he remains committed to the team despite contemplating retirement after the Super Bowl.
