According to Spotrac, Rob Gronkowski earned a staggering $70.3 million during his NFL career. However, despite accumulating those fat paychecks, the former New England Patriots tight end never really spent his NFL salary. Why? He has answered that question recently.

A clip from his interview with Forbes has gone viral, with the Super Bowl champion revealing how he understood that his NFL career might not last long.

"Not having any lavish purchases, the first couple years in the league and just banking away what I was making, because I truly understood that the NFL, you know, they say that's what it stands for is 'Not For Long' NFL. So I understood that," said Gronkowski as posted in the interview clip by an X user on June 3.

When ‘Gronk’ entered the NFL as a second-round pick back in 2010 for a four-year $4 million contract, expectations were modest, and he understood that his football career would be short-lived.

Long before the fat paycheck arrived, he made it clear that he had to save as much as possible.

“My agent gave me a $50,000 advance for what's going to come in the marketing world for me," said Gronkowski. "I just had to pay him back within the first $50,000 I made. I was able to purchase my first car, which was a 2008 Escalade, and then to be able to pay rent once I got to New England."

He carried that approach through 11 NFL seasons, four Super Bowl titles, and after his retirement in 2019, he joined the broadcast booth at Fox Sports, joining Tom Brady and their former Patriots co-star Julian Edelman.

His disciplined financial habits paid off in a big way, with his net worth standing at $45 million after retirement.

How did Rob Gronkowski beat the NFL’s spending curse?

Rather than having a lavish life, ‘Gronk’ made sure to save most of his money in the bank.

Gronkowski added that he completely relied on his endorsement income throughout his 11-year NFL journey. The millions that he earned from football went straight to his savings.

“I just lived off my marketing dollars. I was living a low-level life. I had a condo with a roommate who was on the team as well. We're paying $1,500 a month in rent while in the NFL,” the former tight end added.

Additionally, he explained that the team facility covered his meals and provided low-cost social activities, allowing him to save most of his money.

“I was getting free meals at the facility. I just kind of needed gas money. You go out, the drinks are free, or you pay for one, you get 10 free when you're on the Patriots up in the Boston area,” he said.

As reported by another Forbes article in 2015, Gronkowski wrote in his book It’s Good to Be Gronk (via ESPN) that he has kept every dollar of his Patriots earnings, totaling over $10 million across five seasons.

That said, what are your thoughts about Rob Gronkowski's money management? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar