Rob

Gronkowski

Gronkowski will sign a one-day contract to retire as a Patriot on Wednesday, but he has technically been retired for four seasons. The future Hall of Famer last played in 2021 and returned to the game in 2020, joining Tom Brady and the Buccaneers after a year away. Gronk, a four-time Super Bowl champion and four-time All-Pro, will officially walk away as one of the best tight ends in league history. He currently ranks 10th amongst TEs in all-time receptions (621), sixth in receiving yards (9,286), and third in touchdowns (92).

Gronkowski stayed retired after he contacted the Bucs about returning in November but told them 2023 “was a possibility.” With Tom Brady a free agent for the second time this offseason, there are rumors of Brady leaving Tampa and bringing Gronkowski wherever he goes. Teams that reached out to Gronkowski in December believe the door is open on the Hall of Fame tight end returning. The Raiders, 49ers, and Titans are expected to have Brady interest while Gronkowski was linked to the Bengals and Buffalo before retiring last offseason.

The lede to the story starts: “Saying he was ‘bored’ not playing football,” which feels like the most Rob Gronkowski way to think about unretiring. Gronkowski is only 33 and still likely capable of being a top-5 fantasy tight end if he wanted to pursue it, but the state of the Bucs is ... well, not ring chasing so much as praying to make the playoffs. Perhaps Gronkowski will be amenable to following Tom Brady again in 2023, though.

This story rocked Twitter over the weekend. Gronkowski is now part of the UFC broadcasts in his retirement, and White was on the air with him Saturday during the Santos-Gordon fight. As White tells the story, he “worked to put that deal together” for Brady and Gronk to go to the Raiders, and “it was almost a done deal.” But, as White says and Gronkowski confirmed, “At the last minute, Gruden blew the deal up and said that he didn’t want them. And all hell broke loose.” Brady was so set on going to Vegas, according to White, that he was already looking for houses. “I was never going to tell that story until Gronk just said it,” White explained. “That is exactly what happened,” Gronkowski reiterated. Instead, Brady and Gronk went to the Bucs and won a Super Bowl there. Gruden is now out of the league.

Asked if a call from Tom Brady would change his mind, Gronkowski said he’d take the call, but “I wouldn’t go back to football, no.” Regardless of what Gronkowski says, Drew Rosenhaus’ statement that it wouldn’t surprise him if Gronk returned to the NFL continues to point to the idea that nobody in the NFL really believes he’s done. Gronkowski did seem fairly adamant that this was it for him, but it will remain an open question until he’s on the couch in the playoffs.

That’s definitely not how we expected this to end given how all reports this offseason have gone. Until Gronkowski is inevitably pulled out of retirement in Week 13 or whatever, he hangs it up with 9,236 receiving yards, 92 receiving touchdowns, and a dominant 11-season career that should make him an inner-circle Hall of Famer. Adam Schefter notes that he received a text from Gronk agent Drew Rosenhaus that says: “It would not surprise me if Tom Brady calls him during the season to come back and Rob answers the call. This is just my opinion but I wouldn’t be surprised if Rob comes back during the season or next season.” Gronkowski’s retirement opens up space for Cameron Brate in the Tampa passing attack and should also boost the stock of Russell Gage. “I will now be going back into my retirement home, walking away from football again with my head held high knowing I gave it everything I had,” Gronkowski wrote on Instagram.

Gronkowski won’t be signed before Tampa’s mandatory minicamp. Returning for training camp remains in play and has always been the likely target for the four-time All Pro. Gronkowski had base salaries of $9 million and $8 million with the Bucs the past two seasons but could ask for a raise after Browns TE David Njoku and Cardinals TE Zach Ertz got over $10 million APY deals this offseason.

Coach Todd Bowles said there’s “no timetable” for when Gronkowski will make a decision on retirement. Gronkowski has been working out at the Bucs’ team facility and most expect him to wait until training camp before returning to the team. The Bucs’ offseason moves — drafting fourth-round TE Cade Otton and restructuring Cameron Brate — have them in a position to move on if Gronkowski retires.

Gronkowski also confirmed the Bucs as the only team he’ll play for if he returns. Tampa drafted a Gronkowski replacement in fourth-round TE Cade Otton, a move GM Jason Licht said won’t prevent the team from bringing Gronkowski back. The four-time All-Pro has been working out at the Bucs’ team facility two days per week to stay in shape this offseason.

The Bucs retained Cameron Brate on a reduced contract and used a fourth-round pick on TE Cade Otton, but GM Jason Licht has already said the team will continue to wait on Gronk. The consensus amongst both the Bucs and team observers seems to be that Gronk will be returning for his age-33 campaign, but as can be the case with some superstars in their twilight, he just needs a little time to get there. Besides the fact that he is, you know, unsigned, we have yet to see anything to suggest Gronk won’t eventually lace up in 2022.