Rob Gronkowski is back at the New England Patriots' facility for mandatory minicamp after skipping voluntary workouts earlier this offseason.
One reason for the All-Pro tight end staying away was reportedly a desire for a new contract. Gronk provided little detail about the negotiations on Tuesday but admitted he'd like a new deal.
Here is a brief back-and-forth with the media on the topic:
Do you want to get something done before the season?
- "Who wouldn't?" *
Are you trying to get a new contract? What's the progress on negotiations?
"I don't know. We're trying to."
Gronk is set to earn $8 million in base salary this season. NFL Network's James Palmer previously reported sides were working on tweaking his deal, as they did last season, but thus far nothing has come to fruition.
Gronk also addressed his contemplation of retirement following the Patriots' Super Bowl loss, another reason he took his time returning to the facility.
"I was just seeing where I was at after a long season. [Retirement] was definitely on the mind, but I had to do what I had to do," he said. "I felt good enough to get my body prepared and get my body right again. I had to see where my body was at and where my mind was at. But now I'm out here and I feel good, I feel like I definitely made the right decision coming back out."
The tight end also made headlines this spring after investing in Gronkowski the horse, a storyline that provided us a quintessential Gronk response on Tuesday:
Welcome back, Gronk.
