Over the course of his NFL career, Rob Gronkowski seemed to carry himself like a WWE superstar.
Now it appears the former New England Patriots tight end is about to become one.
On Tuesday, Ryan Satin reported on WWE Backstage that Gronkowski was in “deep in talks with WWE and close to finalizing a deal.” On Wednesday morning, Tony Maglio of TheWrap.com reported that the deal was complete and that the 3-time Super Bowl champion will make his debut on the March 20 episode of WWE SmackDown, in addition to making an appearance at WrestleMania 36 in Tampa, Fla. on April 5.
This wouldn’t be Gronkowski’s first foray into the squared circle. In 2017 — while still a member of the Patriots — the 5-time Pro Bowl selection made an appearance at WrestleMania 33 in Orlando, helping his friend (and former NFL player) Mojo Rawley win the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
According to Satin, it is still unclear what role WWE will be signing the 30-year-old Gronkowski for. Maglio, meanwhile, reports that his appearances in the coming weeks will build toward a future match — not one that’s scheduled to happen anytime soon.
In nine seasons with the Patriots, Gronkowski enjoyed a Hall of Fame-caliber career, tallying 521 receptions for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns in 115 regular-season games and 81 receptions for 1,163 yards and 12 touchdowns in 16 postseason contests.
After retiring following the 2018 season, Gronkowski joined Fox Sports as an NFL analyst. He is expected to continue in that capacity even after signing with WWE.
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