Former NFL star close to reaching a deal with WWE

If you are a fan of both the NFL and the WWE, then you might be seeing a familiar face soon. On the latest episode of WWE Backstage, Ryan Satin reported that former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was close to finalizing a deal with the WWE. Terms and specifics were not announced during his Satin Sheet segment.

Per: @ryansatin 🚨BREAKING NEWS:🚨@WWE rumored to be close to a deal with @RobGronkowski #WWEBackstage pic.twitter.com/xnD7HV2UrX

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) March 11, 2020

Gronkowski has been a lifelong fan of professional wrestling and his most memorable moment was back at WrestleMania 33. The former Patriot was in the front row of the crowd in Arlington, Texas and helped his friend, former NFL offensive lineman Mojo Rawley, win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royale.

Satin mentioned that the two sides are "close to a deal" and that the man known as Gronk could appear as soon as SmackDown in New Orleans on March 20th. There are other former NFL players that are currently in the WWE system including Riddick Moss and Tino Sabbatelli. The role that Gronkowski would play is up in the air but he did get slightly physical with Jinder Mahal during his role at WrestleMania 33.

Since retiring from pro football, Gronkowski has served as an NFL analyst for FOX while also pursuing several other ventures. Due to his association with FOX as an analyst, it would make sense from a cross-promotion standpoint for the former tight end to appear on Friday Night SmackDown.