Due to his marketability, and oversized personality, the Pats Tight End has been able to live off his endorsement dollars.
In a recent interview with Maverick Carter on Uninterrupted’s “Kneading Dough,” the All-Pro says he still hasn’t touched any of the money he’s earned from the Patriots.
Gronk is in the midst of a six-year, $54 million contract. In June, he said he was trying to get a new contract, but his deal hasn’t been restructured. Gronkowski reported to camp on time.
Due to his incredible money management skills, Gronk has apparently become a financial role-model for young players across the league. He told a story about a young player who asked him about purchasing a new Hummer.
“I had this one guy this year, he came up to me. He was like, ‘Hey, Rob, you’ve got a Hummer. I see it. I want to get a Hummer. But my agent is telling me that I shouldn’t get a Hummer. It costs too much. It’s like $22,000,’” Gronk said. “He’s like, ‘What do you think? You’ve got a Hummer. How much gas does it take?’
“And I was like, ‘Dude, if you want a Hummer, you’ve played one year, you can get a Hummer. It’s $22,000. It’s not like you’re paying for luxury. You can pay for the gas and everything.’ And I was like, ‘What are you doing right now? What’s your car?’ And he was like, ‘Oh, I got a rental.’ I’m like, ‘How much you paying for the rental a week?’ He was like, ‘$400.’ I was like, ‘Dog, hurry up and buy that damn Hummer.'”
Gronkowski is always pretty careful with his money, he did open up about one extravagant purchase he’s made this offseason, which came after he had earned $10.5 million from the Patriots, thanks to incentives.
“My friend had a chain, and I was like, ‘Dang, man, that’s a nice chain.’ I never had jewelry in my life,” Gronkowski said. “He let me wear it last year at a party. “It made me feel good. So in the back of my head, I said, ‘If I hit all my incentives, if I do everything I need to do, get all my bonuses, put all the work in, I’ve got to finally treat myself.”
Gronk is one of a kind, and clearly a lot smarter than he looks.