Rob Gronkowski confirmed Sunday night that he resisted a trade this offseason to the Detroit Lions and threatened to retire.
When asked about a report that the New England Patriots were close to trading the All-Pro tight end to Detroit, Gronkowski corroborated the rumor, adding he had no desire to leave Tom Brady's side and nixed the swap by vowing to hang them up.
"Yeah, it happened," Gronk told reporters, per Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal. "Brady's my quarterback. ... I wasn't going anywhere without Brady."
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported two weeks ago that there were several parties interested in Gronk's services this offseason and New England was close to a deal with one of them. ESPN reported Sunday that the team in question was the Lions.
The Lions signed tight end Luke Willson and Levine Toilolo this offseason after letting Eric Ebron walk. Meanwhile, Gronkowski agreed to terms on a revised contract with New England that pays him up to $13.3 million this year with $4.3 million in additional incentives.
Gronk led the Pats with four receptions for 51 yards in their loss to the Lions on Sunday.
