"I'm so happy that he's enjoying his time, his life. He seems to really be doing a lot of great things. He knows how I feel about him. I want what's best for him. He's the only person that can make those decisions. I don't lobby for those things," Brady said Monday morning in his weekly appearance on WEEI, a Boston sports radio station.
Gronkowski, 30, retired this offseason and started work last week as an NFL analyst on Fox, where he said that he'll always leave the door open to unretire.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft fueled speculation Thursday when he said Gronkowski hadn't yet filed his retirement papers and that Kraft would "pray and hope" that Gronkowski might come out of retirement.
In his first Fox appearance, Gronkowski also added that he's not mentally prepared to play right now, though physically he could.
Brady said Monday that people should just be happy with what Gronkowski accomplished in the four-time All-Pro's nine-season NFL career, all with the Patriots.
"He's given a hell of a lot to our team already over a long period of time, and I think people should be very appreciative for what he's brought to the team and what he's brought to the region," Brady said. "I think he's just a very special guy. He's at a different phase of his life."
The Patriots are 6-0 and Brady, who last week passed Peyton Manning on the career passing yardage list, has thrown for 1,743 yards and 10 touchdowns with three interceptions. However, Pats tight ends Ryan Izzo and Matt Lacosse have combined for only nine receptions for 169 yards and one TD (by Izzo).
Listen to Brady's entire interview on WEEI below:
