Rob Gronkowski has officially called it quits on one of the most dominant careers by a tight end in NFL history.
Again.
MORE: Rob Gronkowski retiring from NFL: Why former Buccaneers, Patriots tight end is ending career
The first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer announced the decision on Tuesday, capping his career with 621 receptions for 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns — not to mention a litany of career, postseason and positional records that cements him as one of the top players to ever play at tight end.
Gronkowski's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, speculated there is one person who might be able to persuade his client to come out of retirement, though. That would be Tom Brady, who accomplished that exact feat after leaving the Patriots for the Buccaneers.
In reaction to Rob Gronkowski’s news, his agent Drew Rosenhaus texts: “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.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 21, 2022
Brady, as has been ever more the case since joining the Buccaneers, had a hilarious — and intriguing — response to the speculation:
https://t.co/CyD9fgMbX6 pic.twitter.com/LzoNJy5KJv
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) June 21, 2022
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If anyone could lure Gronk out of retirement, it'd be Brady, with whom he has spent 11 seasons in the NFL (nine with the Patriots, two with the Buccaneers). Brady requested Gronkowski to join him in Tampa Bay in 2020, after the tight end spent the entire 2019 season in retirement.
In their first year together as Bucs, Brady and Gronk connected for 45 receptions, 623 yards and seven touchdowns. That includes a vintage performance in which the two combined for six catches for 67 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-9 victory over the Chiefs in Super Bowl 55.
The two had another productive season together in 2021: 55 catches, 802 yards for six touchdowns, even with Gronk missing five games.
Following Brady's brief retirement earlier in the offseason, Gronk fielded interest from teams such as the Bengals and Bills. Brady's decision to come back for another season, however, swung the favor back in Tampa Bay's favor to re-sign the tight end. Indeed, Gronk told TMZ in late April that "it's just the Bucs" or retirement in his future.
Would their combined success be enough for Brady to get one last ride out of Gronk? Perhaps, though that scenario is most likely as a postseason run as opposed to a season-long ride into the sunset. It's worth noting that the Rams pulled a similar move with Eric Weddle, asking the safety to come out of retirement for a Super Bowl run.
Weddle was able to step in and shore up a fraught safety position for Los Angeles, earn his first career Super Bowl with the Rams, then re-retire following a victory over the Bengals in Super Bowl 56.
