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Rob Gronkowski is gearing up for a return to sports … well, sports entertainment, that is.

The former New England Patriots tight end plans to end a one-year retirement from the NFL and suit up for World Wrestling Entertainment, according to a report from FOX Sports 1.

Per the report, Gronkowski could be in the ring as soon as March 20 at a Friday Night “SmackDown LIVE” event in New Orleans. “SmackDown LIVE” is broadcast on FOX, and Gronkowski has worked as an NFL studio analyst for FOX Sports this past season.

Gronkowski, 30, is no stranger to the WWE, having jumped in the ring for a cameo appearance at WrestleMania 33 in 2017 on behalf of friend Mojo Rawley. Gronkowski helped Rawley win the Andre the Giant Battle Royal at the event.

WWE executives Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Stephanie McMahon were photographed at Gronkowski’s Super Bowl party in Miami in February. Gronkowski’s former Patriots coach, Bill Belichick, also made the photo that circled on social media.

“With wrestling, I don’t feel like I would be a full-time wrestler, but there is one thing I’m down for,” Gronkowski said in August, per ESPN. “And that’s to do one crazy match. Practice it for a little bit, go out there — like in a Royal Rumble — go out there, I got my friend in WWE (Rawley), practice it and do a full-on WWE match. I’m not saying when, maybe five years. I got the rest of my life to do that. I’ve always dreamed about doing that, just one time, going in there and going full-out. That may be a possibility, one time, down the road.”



Gronkowski was a four-time first-team All-Pro and won three Super Bowls with New England. In 115 games (100 starts), he caught 521 passes for 7,861 yards with 79 touchdowns.

–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)