Will Gronk move to WWE if he retires from the NFL?

WWE is trying to sign Rob Gronkowski to a contract, Dave Meltzer reported in his Wrestling Observer newsletter.

The news comes with Gronkowski’s NFL future up in the air. Just before the Super Bowl, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported that it wouldn’t be a surprise if Gronkowski retired. Directly after the Patriots’ loss to the Eagles, Gronkowski was asked if retirement was on his mind and said he’d be evaluating his future over the offseason.

Meltzer, the foremost authority in wrestling reporting, says WWE “is willing to offer a similar style deal to Gronkowski that they offered to Ronda Rousey.”

Rousey made her WWE debut at the Royal Rumble last month and announced that she has signed a full-time contract with the wrestling promotion. “Full-time” is a flexible designation, though, since she hasn’t appeared on WWE television since the Rumble. She is scheduled to appear during the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view on Feb. 25, however, and is being advertised as a WrestleMania participant.

Gronk is no stranger to WWE. He is good friends with wrestler Mojo Rawley (real name Dean Muhtadi), who had a brief NFL career and interfered on his behalf during a match at WrestleMania in April 2017.

Rawley told TMZ last week that Gronk joining WWE is “not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.” He quickly backpedaled, though. “I don’t know,” Rawley said. “I can’t speak for him. Whatever he wants to do.”

It is widely believed that Gronkowski’s talk of retirement is due to the punishment his body has taken in his eight NFL seasons. He’s had a torn ACL, a broken arm that later became infected, at least two concussions and a series of back surgeries. WWE storylines may be scripted, but the bumps are real. A move to pro wrestling wouldn’t be any less taxing on the soon to be 29-year-old’s body.