Looks like Gronk will play next season

Alright, folks, it's safe to breathe again.

There have been a lot of questions pertaining to Rob Gronkowski and what he'll do next season, but it seems like we might not have to worry so much anymore. Ian Rapoport is a pretty trustworthy guy, and that's what he's saying at least.
He appeared on NFL Network Wednesday to talk Gronk news, and there is what he had to say:

"My understanding is, when you talk to people close to him, they think there is a better chance that he comes back again than he doesn't," he said. "I do believe that the Patriots are at least tentatively planning as if they will have Gronk for the 2019 season. Obviously a big question still needs to be answered, but that is which way it's trending."

The interesting part of it all is that there's been some different things said this offseason about the star tight end. However, Mike Florio, of Pro Football Talk and ESPN's Adam Schefter, "also pointed to things pointing in a positive direction with the Patriots tight end," according to 24/7 Sports.

So yeah, basically we should plan on Gronk playing next season and if he doesn't, we can all do the shocked Pikachu meme face.

In all seriousness though, the Patriots need Gronk at tight end. We could break down all of the stats, but anyone who has seen him play knows the deal. He's hard to tackle. He can block. Linebackers have a difficult time covering him. He has been more healthy in recent years. Pretty much, he's the perfect tight end, like how Tom Brady is the perfect quarterback.

To summarize: good news on this front. Expect more Gronk spikes next season, and probably some memorable quotes from the life of the fiesta. The end.