Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski retired for the second time this June. Agent Drew Rosenhaus told ESPN that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if Gronk decided to make another comeback.
“That would not surprise me,” Rosenhaus said. “I’m not predicting that, and I’m not saying that’s coming from Rob cause it’s not. Rob says he’s retired. But that’s just my opinion. I’ve represented him for more than a decade, and that’s just my gut feeling.”
The return of Tom Brady to the team gave fans hope that Gronk would soon follow suit. Unfortunately, Gronk remains retired until this day.
“It looks like Rob’s having a great time without football. It looks like he’s really enjoying himself,” Rosenhaus said. “He says he’s retired for good.
However, Rosenhaus insisted that the player could return to the Buccaneers and help them claim another title.
“I always stick with my opinion, and as I said before,” the longtime agent said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if circumstances played out in a given fashion where Tom Brady and the Buccaneers need Rob if later in the season, Rob decides that he’s going to come back for his guy Tom Brady and maybe finish the year out and help the team win another championship. That would not surprise me.”
Gronkowski’s first retirement came after the 2018 season. He completed 47 passes for the New England Patriots for 682 yards and three touchdowns. At that time, he had spent nine years with the Patriots, winning four Super Bowls and earning four All-Pro honors.
He missed the entire 2019 season but made a comeback the following year to join Brady in the Buccaneers. At Tampa Bay, Gronk caught 45 passes for 623 yards and recorded seven touchdowns,
In 2021, Brady and Gronk decided to retire after a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs.
Gronk’s relationship with Brady
Gronkowski and Brady spent nine years together in New England and became some of the best NFL players while playing for the Patriots.
“Teammate, friend, and brother are just a few of the words that come to mind when I think of Gronk,” Brady said. “Nobody has ever embodied the idea of ‘leaving it all out on the field’ as Rob has throughout his entire career. Every single snap, I knew that no matter how many people you put in front of him, he was going to get to his spot.”
Gronk recorded 532 passes for 7,861 yards with the Patriots and racked up 79 touchdowns receptions. He led the Patriots to win four Super Bowls.
Gronk and Brady won another championship in their first season together at the Buccaneers after their transfers. For two years, Gronk made 100 catches for 1,425 yards and 13 touchdowns.
‘I’m done with football’
While Rosenhaus was adamant that Gronk would soon return to the NFL, the tight end earlier said he would never make a comeback.
“I’m done with football,” Gronk said to ESPN in July. “Love the game. Love the game. And definitely blessed with all the opportunities the game of football has given me and the relationships I’ve made — obviously, here in New England for nine seasons and two down in Tampa for two. But I’m done with football and stepping my feet into the business world, business ventures, and just seeing what’s out there and where I can find my place.”
Asked what would he do if Brady called him to rejoin the Bucs this season, Gronk said he would stick with his plan.
“I would answer (the call), obviously,” he said. “I would answer the greatest quarterback of all time and ask him how he’s doing and tell him I’m doing good. But I wouldn’t go back to football. No.”