WWE or Hollywood? Sports marketing expert on what could be next for Gronk

BOSTON — Now that the Gronk's officially hanging up his cleats -- fans are left wondering what he'll do next.

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski announced on Instagram that he is retiring from football following the team's Super Bowl LIII win, ending his historic nine-year NFL career.

What he'll do after is up in the air, though some say he might go down the wrestling road.

In fact, he has dabbled in it before with an appearance at WrestleMania 33 -- stepping in the ring to help his real-life friend Mojo Rawley during the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

And many fans were hoping to see Gronk at TD Garden on Monday night, where WWE Raw was taking place.

He did not make an appearance, but fans in Boston are excited to see what he'll take on next regardless a cameo at the Garden.

"Oh yeah he’s an entertainer," said Patriots fan, Josh Lima. 'He’s funny, you know he’s either gonna be an actor or wrestler."

>>> Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski retires after nine seasons in the NFL

Public relations executive and Emerson professor, David Gerzof Richard, thinks Gronk sure has the personality and brand for it in his post-NFL career.

"He has his own brand of being the happy-go-lucky tight end, it's really leveraging that and with various people he is interacting with on both Instagram and Twitter and leveraging into what comes next," said Richard.

Richard says sports stars in previous decades didn't have the social media star power -- or social media at all -- to build off of like Gronk.

"The worst thing he could do is go silent... and that is something I don't think we are going to see from Rob Gronkowski," adds Richard.

And his fans certainly hope he'll find a way to stay successful in the public eye.

"I think he should go into movies because he's a pretty funny guy and people look up to him," said Patriots fan, Donte Tyler from Stoughton.

Another fan thinks so too, and she thinks comedy would be the only way to go.

"I don't know about a serious...maybe in a comedy or something," another fan said. "What would it be called? Maybe Adam Sandler and Gronk go on vacation."

As for the wresting, a WWE spokesperson gave no comment on any potential deals or announcements.

>>> Fans across Patriot Nation react to Gronkowski retirement

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