After a lack luster ending to the New England Patriots 2017 season, rumors have begun to swirl in both the Wrestling and Football worlds, that the Pro Bowl Tight End is considering making a major career change. After the loss to Philadelphia, Gronkowski was not willing to give any direct comment on his future with the Patriots, only that he was going to take the off season to think about his future.
It may be biased but personally, I think that Gronk deciding to join the WWE would be a very poor career choice. Although the New England 6'6" big man does have the polarizing charisma to possibly have a short career in the Wrestling world, there are many other things he should consider before looking to bigger pastures.
Possibly the biggest hindrance to Gronk's success in the WWE is the fact that he is for lack of a phrase "injury prone." During his eight year career in the NFL, the 28 year old has collected a medley of injuries, most notably a concussion, back injury and a forearm , the latter two which required surgery. Pointing these injuries out is not to mock or down play the big man, but to establish the difference between being injured in NFL (where the season is comprised of 16 weeks) and the WWE where the athlete's spend an average of 300 days on working on the road. Simply running the numbers of working schedule duration, it would seem that Gronkowski would be making an ill fated decision to make the crossover.
Something else to consider for the Pro Bowl TE is the fact that he does have a certain level of celebrity but it was not earned in the world of wrestling. Simply making the change from sports icon to WWE entertainer, Gronk would more than likely be treated as a novelty and would be used as a 'jobber' ( a wrestling term for someone who is a stepping stone for others to advance their careers). This is not to say that the WWE wouldn't be willing to pay him handsomely for his cooperation in playing his role, but it would seem like a step down to go from NFL favorite to a mid level wrestler.
The final hurdle for the 'Big G', would be learning how to navigate the politics of the wrestling business. In the NFL, there may be politics but in the end, the players who show the best skill set will win the job. Where the WWE, is notorious for back room politics. To quote the great Stone Cold Steve Austin, "the hardest thing to learn was the unwritten rules". Not taking a shot at Gronk's mental aptitude, but at 28 (soon to be 29) the big man is very late to the party in terms of learning all of the tricks of the trade.
While it still remains to be seen if Rob Gronkowski will decide to lace up his wrestling boots and squeeze into a pair of very revealing trunks, it seems apparent he should stay with what he knows. Wrestling may be entertainment but it is strenuous and damaging to the body in a way he is not used to and is probably not be prepared for mentally or physically. In the mean time, it seems we must sit back and wait to see if he chooses green grass or dusty mats. Regardless, I'd personally like to wish him the best and a speedy mental recovery from the Super Bowl loss.
