After several seasons of being grossly underpaid, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski received a restructured contract, per agent Drew Rosenhaus and ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Gronkowski signed a six-year contract worth $54 million in 2012 after his sophomore season. Per Spotrac.com, Gronk's base salary was set at $8 million in 2018 and $9 million in 2019.
Schefter broke down the incentives for the two-time Super Bowl champion, who could pocket much more cash if he reaches these marks:
The 29-year-old was subject of trade rumors this offseason, with rumors suggesting that he had grown tired of the tight ship ran by head coach Bill Belichick. Gronkowski even considered retirement following the team's Super Bowl 52 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but instead he's back to raising terror among 31 NFL teams once again.
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It's been a frustrating offseason for the Patriots so far, with key players Danny Amendola, Dion Lewis, Nate Solder and Malcolm Butler leaving in free agency. Star wideout Brandin Cooks was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, Julian Edelman received a four-game suspension and first round pick Isaiah Wynn tore his Achilles in preseason and won't play at all in 2018.
Patriots fans needed some good news, and they finally have it in that Gronkowski now has a contract that satisfies him. If he's healthy, Gronk will have no problem reaching the incentives that will help him earn the extra cash. That being said, he does only have two years left on his contract, so the Patriots may want to look at extending him in the near future.
The Patriots are shooting for a third consecutive trip to the Super Bowl, and having Gronkowski on the field is necessary if they're to contend for another championship. We'll see how his 2018 season plays out, and if it will help Gronk land a lucrative extension next year.