Price: Rob Gronkowski recommits to finishing 2018 strong, but what will future bring?

FOXBOROUGH — The state of Rob Gronkowski at the start of the 2018 playoffs?

“Today was a good day,” the tight end said at the beginning of his Thursday afternoon press conference, a session that ran for more than 10 minutes and was extraordinarily introspective.

Gronkowski has endured a challenging year. Between injuries and what appears to be a shift in New England’s offensive philosophy, he’s on pace to have one of the least productive seasons of his career. The usually gregarious Gronkowski even walked off the podium early one afternoon, cutting a presser short after too many questions about health and lack of production.

The truth of the matter is this season has pretty much followed form when it comes to his time with the Patriots. In all, with multiple Super Bowl rings and All-Pro berths, as well as his share of season-ending injuries, it’s been a roller-coaster ride for Gronkowski since he first entered the league in 2010. He's seen the highest of highs, redefining the position along the way. He's also been forced to contemplate his football mortality with a rash of ugly injuries.

On Thursday, it was good Gronk. He made as strong a statement as he ever has when it came to the 2018 season, recommitting to the idea of closing the year on a good note.

“I love the grind. I’m all in,” Gronkowski said, leaning forward to make sure those in attendance understood the gravity of the statement. “I’ve been all-in all season, no matter if it’s been up (or) if it’s been down.

“And I’m going to tell you this right now – I’m going to be all-in for the rest of the year, no matter when it is. And that’s just my main focus, no matter how it goes.”

Left unsaid? The possibility of 2019 and beyond.

Given his health and age — this is his 10th year in the league — you can’t really blame him for using short-term phrases to describe his state of being. With that in mind, it was interesting to hear his response when confronted with the possibility of playing with Brady next year.

In the past, he’s tied himself to the quarterback, pledging his allegiance to Brady in a way no New England pass catcher has ever done — not Deion Branch, not Wes Welker, not Troy Brown. He’d rather retire than leave Brady’s side because of a trade.

With that in mind, how would you feel about running it back with Brady in 2019, Rob?