Why a Rob Gronkowski Patriots Jersey Still Belongs in Your Closet

Some jerseys turn into nostalgia years later. A rob gronkowski patriots jersey kind of skipped that step. Gronk showed up as a second-round pick out of Arizona in 2010, and by the time he was done in New England he'd stacked three Super Bowl rings and turned the number 87 into a one-man party.

He retired, came back, got traded to Tampa, won one more ring there, and retired for good. Foxborough never really moved on, though. Walk around Gillette on a Sunday and you'll still spot more 87s than jerseys of guys who are actually on the roster right now. That's the short version of why a Rob Gronkowski Patriots Jersey Still Belongs in Your Closet, even if the man himself is four years into retirement and busy doing whatever it is he does on television.

If you're buying one, the first fork in the road is which tier you want. They're not all the same garment, and the price gap is real.

• Game: screen-printed numbers and name, looser cut, the cheapest option. Great for kids or for wearing to a tailgate where it might get spilled on.
• Limited: stitched numbers and letters, a slightly trimmer cut, and noticeably nicer fabric. This is the sweet spot for most adults.
• Elite: the actual on-field build. Heavy, tailored, tighter through the chest, longer sleeves. Beautiful, and honestly overkill unless you collect them.

Sizing is where people get burned. Nike's football jerseys run roomy, and the cut changes between tiers. I'm 6'1", about 190, and I wear a medium in Limited but a large in the Game version, because the printed ones hang like a tarp on me. If you're between sizes and want to layer a hoodie underneath in November, size up. If you want it to look sharp over a t-shirt in September, stay put.

Color matters more than you'd think, too. The navy home jersey is the classic Gronk look and it hides everything. White is clean and photographs great, then picks up every drop of ketchup at the stadium. One thing you won't find: a red Gronk throwback. The Patriots shelved the old Pat Patriot reds before he was drafted and only brought them back after he'd left, so any red 87 you see is a custom job.

Take care of it and it'll outlast your fandom for whoever's currently under center. Turn it inside out, wash cold on gentle, and never put it in the dryer. Skip the iron entirely if there's any print on it, and hang it instead of folding it over a hanger bar so the shoulders don't stretch.

As a gift, navy is the safe pick, and a Limited in the recipient's normal t-shirt size is almost always the right call. Just don't wait around assuming it'll be easy to find forever. Gronk's Patriots run is closed, and the good sizes tend to disappear first.