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          NFL Nation

          Rob Gronkowski loses $281K with suspension -- and possibly much more

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          Gronk's 1-game suspension unacceptable to Stephen A. (1:54)

          Stephen A. Smith says Rob Gronkowski deserved to be suspended for at least three games for his dirty play. (1:54)

          • Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff WriterDec 6, 2017, 02:10 AM
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              Mike Reiss is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the New England Patriots. Reiss has covered the Patriots since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2009. In 2019, he was named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. You can follow Reiss on Twitter at @MikeReiss.
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          FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski lost the appeal of his one-game suspension, which means he is out for this Monday night's game against the Miami Dolphins in South Florida.

          Let's look at what the suspension costs Gronkowski financially:

          Gronkowski has a base salary of $4.25 million and will lose 1/17th of it: $250,000

          Gronkowski also will lose the chance to earn his per-game roster bonus: $31,250

          So the suspension will cost Gronkowski $281,250, and also threatens his chances to earn extra money in incentives as part of the sweetened contract he signed in May.

          Gronkowski currently has 55 catches for 849 yards and seven touchdowns, as he has played 83.4 percent of the offensive snaps.

          As ESPN's Adam Schefter reported in May, Gronkowski has multiple tiers in his contract that increases his earnings if he hits certain benchmarks. From Schefter's piece:

          • First tier, which gets Gronkowski $10.75 million with either 90 percent play time, 80 catches, 1,200 receiving yards or All-Pro recognition (which he has made four times).

          • Second tier, which gets Gronkowski $8.75 million if he reaches 80 percent play time, 70 catches, 1,000 receiving yards or 12 touchdowns.

          • Third tier, which gets Gronkowski $6.75 million if he reaches 70 percent play time, 60 receptions, 800 receiving yards or 10 TDs.

          By missing the game against the Dolphins, Gronkowski will have three remaining games (at Pittsburgh, vs. Buffalo, vs. N.Y. Jets) to put himself in the best position to reach as many incentives as possible.