TAMPA, FLORIDA – JANUARY 16: Rob Gronkowski #87 and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers look on against the Philadelphia Eaglesin the first half of the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Raymond James Stadium on January 16, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
With Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans waiting to see if Tom Brady will retire, could tight end Rob Gronkowski decide to hang up his cleats as well?
When Rob Gronkowski came out of retirement to team back up with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay, it was a match made in heaven. The two helped the Bucs win the Super Bowl last year and life was good. Now, we very well could end up seeing the two retire in the coming weeks/months.
While plenty of the focus has been on whether or not Brady will return next season, Gronkowski told TMZ Sports that he’s going to take some time to think about his future as well. More, he made it more than clear that if the team told him to make a decision now, he wouldn’t hesitate in retiring.
Rob Gronkowski is yet to decide if he’ll play for the Buccaneers next season
“If they’re like, ‘Rob, you’ve got to decide right now, right this second if you’re playing next year,’ I would say no right now. It’s two days after the season,” Gronkowski said via NFL.com. “I would be like, ‘No, I’m not playing.’ … You’ve got to give it some time. You’ve got to rest. I would say to see how everything goes, how everything plays out.”
From that quote, it really looks like Gronkowski has no idea of what he’ll end up deciding on. Obviously, Brady’s upcoming decision will play a major role in things as well. If Brady does retire and doesn’t return next fall, would we really expect Gronkowski to suit up for the team with a different signal-caller? It feels unlikely.
We should find out soon enough what both future Hall-of-Famers decide to do. Should the two retire, countless Tampa Bay fans will no doubt be heartbroken.