Rob Gronkowski has fulfilled the dying wish of a friend by signing a one-day contract with the New England Patriots, nearly four years after his last NFL appearance, in order to retire with the team.

The 36-year-old tight end won three Super Bowls alongside star quarterback Tom Brady during an eight-year stint with the Patriots.

Gronkowski retired in 2019, but came out of retirement to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers alongside Brady for two more seasons, winning a fourth championship ring in Florida.

But ‘The Gronk’ is best known for his time in New England, and there are plans to enlist him in the Patriots’ hall of fame in 2026.

Since leaving the side, Gronkowski has continued working with charities in the greater Boston area.

But earlier this month, Gronkowski’s charity partner Susan Hurley, a former Patriots cheerleader who founded CharityTeams in 2008, died from cancer.

Before her death, Hurley publicly requested that Gronkowski return to the Patriots so that he could officially retire at his “home”.