At last, some clarity. Since the immediate aftermath of Super Bowl LII, Rob Gronkowski has kept almost everyone guessing about his professional football future. Today, via an Instagram posting, the All-Pro tight end revealed that he met with head coach Bill Belichick and intends to continue playing for the Patriots in 2018.

Gronkowski's announcement comes just days after an unusual weekend press conference he held at Gillette to promote his involvement in a motorcross event at the stadium. The tight end, who hasn't been with his teammates for the first week-plus of New England's offseason strength and conditioning program, dodged several reporters' questions about his intentions for the upcoming season and beyond.

That and other behaviors this offseason have led some observers to speculate of late that Gronkowski was angling to orchestrate an exit from the Patriots, or at the very least attempting to negotiate a pay raise. However, his announcement today seems to indicate otherwise, at least as it pertains to his wanting to leave the team, as some in the media are already declaring.

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/988906968701075457

Without question, a Patriots offense minus one of the most dynamic players in the NFL today would be a far less potent one. So, if Gronkowski and the team have indeed mended any fences that were in such need, that would be a tremendously positive development for New England... perhaps the most important one thus far in the Patriots' unorthodox 2018 offseason.