Twitter Reacts to Patriots' Rob Gronkowski Announcing His Retirement

New England Patriots star Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement Sunday on Instagram, which created quite a stir around the internet.

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network captured the player's announcement:

Gronkowski thanked those who were involved in his career:

"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."

Many were quick to note just how good Gronkowski was during his NFL career:

The 29-year-old tallied 521 catches, 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns in what will almost certainly be a Hall of Fame career.

Of course, others took a different approach to the retirement news:

There might not be anyone quite like Gronk on or off the field, and he will be missed now that his career is over.