Rob Gronkowksi will be with the New England Patriots through 2019 as they have picked up the $10-million option bonus on his contract. Gronk had already signed a six-year, $54-million deal in 2012, which made the final four years of his contract part of an option.
This somewhat innocuous move has allowed the media to entertain the idea of whether or not Gronkowski would ever become a free agent. It seems that as long as Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are there, that will never happen. What does seem to be happening right now is that Rob Gronkowski is making less money than he did a season ago.
Tight ends are expected to get overpaid during the free agency period because there are so few truly good players at that position left in the free agent pool. Indianapolis Colts TE Dwayne Allen just signed a four-year, $29.4-million deal which will guarantee $12 million after year one.
Allen barely saw the field last season as he only played in 13 games, recorded 16 receptions for 109 yards and a single touchdown. The Colts are paying for promise, which is the exact opposite of what the Patriots have done with Gronkowski. Gronk will be playing for around $8 million a season as he enters his 30s, which is pretty ridiculous when you consider how important he is to this team.
Without Gronkowski, the Patriots offense struggled to do anything, so his value is unequivocal much like Tom Brady's. The two of them together, however, only make up 13.55 percent of New England's total salary cap. Brady was paid big money for so long that he can now have a team-friendly deal that will keep the Patriots active in free agency.
Gronkowski is a Patriot through and through and is not currently looking for any type of raise, but the fact that there are tight ends getting paid more than he is, is well, pretty ridiculous. The only thing that could be holding the Patriots back from working towards a long-term deal that will actually make Gronk happy is the fact that he has been injury prone throughout his career. When he does get injured it affects him for a while, so it is not shocking the Patriots would be skeptical.