There must be something in the rich people water, because it feels like every pro athlete and their sister are announcing their retirements this week.

By now you’ve likely heard about Rob Gronkowski’s official (Instagram) statement on Sunday. That doesn’t come as a huge surprise to those of us who have been on Gronk Watch for a decision since the Super Bowl, but still feels like a Major Event in the sports landscape.

 

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It all started at 20 years old on stage at the NFL draft when my dream came true, and now here I am about to turn 30 in a few months with a decision I feel is the biggest of my life so far. I will be retiring from the game of football today. I am so grateful for the opportunity that Mr. Kraft and Coach Belichick gave to me when drafting my silliness in 2010. My life experiences over the last 9 years have been amazing both on and off the field. The people I have meet, the relationships I have built, the championships I have been apart of, I just want to thank the whole New England Patriots organization for every opportunity I have been giving and learning the great values of life that I can apply to mine. Thank you to all of Pats Nation around the world for the incredible support since I have been apart of this 1st class organization. Thank you for everyone accepting who I am and the dedication I have put into my work to be the best player I could be. But now its time to move forward and move forward with a big smile knowing that the New England Patriots Organization, Pats Nation, and all my fans will be truly a big part of my heart for rest of my life. It was truly an incredible honor to play for such a great established organization and able to come in to continue and contribute to keep building success. To all my current and past teammates, thank you for making each team every year special to be apart of. I will truly miss you guys. Cheers to all who have been part of this journey, cheers to the past for the incredible memories, and a HUGE cheers to the uncertain of whats next.

A post shared by Rob Gronkowski (@gronk) on Mar 24, 2019 at 2:53pm PDT

Bye bye, Gronkie. Thanks for the rings.

It’s a hard pill to swallow for New England fans, but it’s tough to fault Gronk for calling it a career, especially as we continue to learn more about the devastating effects of contact sports on the human brain. He’s got a bright future ahead, even if it doesn’t take place in Foxborough.

While we were still struggling to recover from Gronk’s retirement, Conor McGregor had some news of his own to share.

Hey guys quick announcement, I’ve decided to retire from the sport formally known as “Mixed Martial Art” today.
I wish all my old colleagues well going forward in competition.
I now join my former partners on this venture, already in retirement.
Proper Pina Coladas on me fellas!

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) March 26, 2019

The MMA legend surprised the sports world with a late night/early morning tweet announcing his retirement. This comes completely out of the blue, especially since Monday’s episode of Jimmy Fallon’s show featured a chat with McGregor about an upcoming fight in July.

Last but not least, WWE star Nikki Bella announced that she’ll be hanging up her boots after 12 years in the ring. She’s joining her twin sister Brie in retirement. The Bella sisters paved the way for the current era of female wrestlers, and their impact on the sport won’t be soon forgotten.

12 years 💯
2 @BellaTwins 👯
And too many memories to count ❤️ #TotalBellas pic.twitter.com/7Xz85ATXpt

— Total Bellas (@Total_Bellas) March 25, 2019

Image source: People