ATLANTA — Rob Gronkowski rumbled down the field, got past two defenders and hauled in the football to set up New England’s go-ahead touchdown.

If this was the farewell performance for the Patriots tight end, he went out in playmaking style.

Was it his biggest catch ever?

“You tell me,” Gronkowski said after New England’s 13-3 Super Bowl victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. “It’s up there. I like making big catches like that.”

That, of course, is what he has done his entire nine-year NFL career.

The 29-year-old Gronkowski is a three-time Super Bowl champion who has been one of the most dominant players at his position.

Ever.

But his time is running out, and just when that happens has been a question all season. Back, knee, ankle and arm ailments have sapped him of his ability to stay on the field. And, when he did play this season, he looked mostly like a shell of his All-Pro self.

“Tonight, it’s about celebrating with my teammates and that decision will be made a week or two down the future,” Gronkowski said. “Because tonight, that’s what it’s about, is celebrating with my teammates. That’s what I’m worried about tonight.”

Gronkowski was seen limping out of Mercedes-Benz Stadium after the game after injuring a quadriceps muscle on a hit in the third quarter.

“Yeah, my quad, it hurts a lot,” he said. “I can barely walk right now.”

He was plenty mobile when it mattered most, though. His two biggest catches came after the painful hit.

Gronkowski finished with six catches for 87 yards, including two receptions on New England’s only touchdown drive. With the score tied at 3, Tom Brady found his tight end for an 18-yard gain on first down . Two plays later, the Patriots had second-and-3 from the Rams 31 when Brady saw Gronkowski get free down the left sideline.

He launched the ball and Gronkowski reached out to catch the ball and put New England at the 2.

“When it comes to crunch time,” Gronkowski said, “I always find a way.”

For a few moments, it was just like old times.

Brady to Gronk.

“Incredible catch,” Brady said. “He’s an awesome teammate, friend, and I’m just so proud of everything that he’s done for our team. He just had an incredible game.”

Added center David Andrews: “It was a hell of a catch. The best players show up at the best time.”

On the next play, Sony Michel ran it up the middle for a touchdown that put the Patriots ahead for good.

“Tom threw it to me and I had to make a play,” Gronkowski said. “I just come through where it needs to be that time. He knows to trust in me and throw that ball and I’m going to go grab it.”

But, for how much longer?

Gronkowski has danced around the question of retirement whenever the question has come up, but he’s due $9 million in base salary next season — a hefty amount for an aging player whose health will always be a concern.

Even if he wants to keep playing, the Patriots could very well say goodbye to one of their best and most popular players in the next few months.

And, if that’s the case, Gronkowski and the Patriots went out a winner. As they have so often done.

“I’ll tell you this: It was the most satisfying year I’ve ever been a part of,” Gronkowski said. “How we came together, the obstacles we had to overcome, the grind from the beginning of training camp to now, it’s just surreal.”

‘Whirlwind’: Flores goes from Super Bowl champs to Dolphins

Flores to Miami

DAVIE, Fla. (AP) — When Brian Flores was asked how he celebrated winning the Super Bowl, he paused for several seconds and laughed.

“I kissed my wife on the field,” Flores said.

Then it was on to the next challenge, and a big one — fixing the Miami Dolphins. Flores, the New England Patriots’ linebackers coach and defensive play-caller, was hired Monday as Miami’s head coach.

He accepted the job hours after helping the Patriots shut down the high-scoring Los Angeles Rams for a 13-3 victory in the title game Sunday night in Atlanta.

“It has been a whirlwind 24 hours,” Flores said with a smile at a news conference that drew two dozen cameras.

“Looking at this crowd here, you’d think we won the Super Bowl,” Miami owner Stephen Ross said. “I’ve never seen this many people in this room. … To me, you start an organization by signing a great leader. I believe we’ve found that leader.”

Flores was the first person the Dolphins interviewed after they fired coach Adam Gase on Dec. 31. They decided on Jan. 11 to offer the job to Flores but had to wait until New England’s season ended to complete an agreement.

“I wasn’t in a rush to become a head coach,” said Flores, 37. “I had a good job in New England.”

Flores said the job with the Patriots’ longtime AFC East foil was appealing because he shared a vision with general manager Chris Grier on how to build a winner.

While preparing for the Super Bowl, Flores also began to hire a Miami staff. The group is expected to include former Colts and Lions head coach Jim Caldwell as assistant head coach, Patriots receivers coach Chad O’Shea as offensive coordinator and Packers assistant Patrick Graham as defensive coordinator.

The son of Honduran immigrants, Flores grew up in Brooklyn and has spent his entire coaching career with the Patriots. He joined them in 2004 and became their de facto defensive coordinator a year ago after Matt Patricia left to join the Lions as their head coach.

Flores is the ninth former assistant to Bill Belichick to become a head coach.

“I think he’ll be awesome,” Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty said. “But he’s in the division,

so I told him he can’t win too many games.”

Flores becomes the NFL’s fourth minority head coach for 2019, which is half the total of last season. Diversity advocates have questioned the effectiveness of the Rooney Rule requiring teams to interview at least one minority candidate for any head coach or general manager vacancy.

A former Boston College linebacker, Flores also coached offense and special teams with New England. He has a long relationship with Grier, who took charge of football operations in the recent organizational shake-up.

Both started as scouts for the Patriots, the Dolphins’ longtime nemeses in the AFC East. Flores will report to Grier under the team’s new, more streamlined leadership structure.

Among those attending the news conference were Flores’ wife, Jennifer, their three children and his high school coach. Also on hand was the last quarterback to lead Miami to a Super Bowl, Dan Marino, in 1984, and the last quarterback to help the Dolphins win one, Bob Griese, in 1973.

Flores is leaving a team that won its sixth Super Bowl since 2002 to join a franchise that has not won a playoff game since 2000 and plans to rebuild after another dismal season.

The Dolphins went 7-9 in 2018 to miss the playoffs for the 15th time in 17 years. They allowed 6,257 yards, the most in franchise history, and the offense was also among the league’s worst, finishing ranked 31st.

One win came at home against New England, when the Dolphins scored a miraculous touchdown with a pass and double lateral on the final play. The Patriots had expected a Hail Mary pass, and second-guessers complained that their secondary included lumbering 6-foot-6 Rob Gronkowski.

“My last memory here wasn’t a great one,” Flores said with a chuckle.

That improbable finish couldn’t save Gase. Ross fired him, ordered a roster overhaul and acknowledged it may take several seasons to build a winner. The revamp is likely to include the departure of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who has been with Miami since 2012 but has never taken a postseason snap.

Flores becomes Miami’s 10th head coach since 2004, including three interim coaches. Grier noted that two of Flores’ predecessors, Gase and Tony Sparano, reached the playoffs in their first season before the team backslid, so Miami will try a more patient approach.

“We want to build this where it’s long term and you can win for many years, instead of trying to go year to year,” Grier said.

Flores is braced for the frustrations that come with rebuilding.

“That’s part of leadership — dealing with adversity,” he said. “There’s going to be some pain. There’s pain for every team.”

As for his curtailed Super Bowl celebration, he wasn’t complaining.

“No, this is not getting cheated at all,” Flores said. “That was a great experience, but I guess I’ve always been this way — I look forward.”