Updated, 9 p.m. Feb. 12: Rob Gronkowski misses field goal in live Super Bowl commercial
PHOENIX — Former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski says he’s fully retired from football.
Well, with one exception.
Gronkowski, who stepped away from the NFL a second time after the 2021 season, is returning to the field on Super Bowl Sunday to attempt a 25-yard field goal as part of a live commercial for online gambling company FanDuel.
The spot will air during the third quarter of Sunday’s game from an undisclosed location in Arizona. If Gronkowski makes the kick, FanDuel users will get to split a prize pool of $10 million in free bets.
“It’s far,” Gronkowski said. “Twenty-five yards is far, especially if you don’t kick field goals.”
Gronkowski has become an active pitchman since first retiring in March 2019, and again in June 2022, promoting everything from CBD products to USAA memberships. Because he had come out of retirement once before, buzz surrounding another return persisted throughout this past season. But Gronkowski has insisted lately he’s done playing.
Since he started preparing for his field goal try, however, Gronkowski introduced a condition in which he would return to the league.
“Only if Jerry Jones gives me a call,” he joked. “I will go back so I can be the kicker of the Dallas Cowboys. That’s the only chance I’ll go back to football.”
Gronkowski has some rudimentary experience with field goals, having served as the kicker at Williamsville North (N.Y.) his sophomore and junior years of high school. He said his large feet earned him the position, but he ultimately registered just one successful attempt, a 28-yarder as a sophomore, because of his poor form.
“My toe still hurts from those high school days,” he said.
Now, more than 15 years later, Gronkowski has made a few adjustments. He seems to be taking the forthcoming attempt seriously, even training with former Patriot Adam Vinatieri, who holds several NFL kicking records.
Vinatieri’s most useful pieces of advice, Gronkowski said, were kick it soccer style, relying on the side of his foot, and to keep his foot pointed, as opposed to flexed, when he follows through. There have been plenty of other pointers: Stand tall, keep your shoulders straight and parallel to the goal posts, and keep your head down on the kick.
“I have a newfound respect for these kickers out there,” Gronkowski said. “It’s actually mind-blowing to think about how these kickers can go out there, 55 yards away from the field goal post, and just drain it right down the middle. There’s so much more that goes into it that you have no idea about.”
At least one NFL kicker, San Francisco’s Robbie Gould, thinks Gronkowski will be successful. Vinatieri, too, is optimistic about his student’s chances.
While Gronkowski is expecting a few jitters, he’s hopeful he can come through.
“I’m sure when Sunday comes, I’ll be having those nerves like it’s game day,” Gronkowski said. “But I’m going to make that field goal for America.”
Nicole Yang can be reached at nicole.yang@globe.com. Follow her on X @nicolecyang.