The NFL will release its full 2021 season schedule on Wednesday night, but we may already know when Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski will return to New England.
Sources told Bleacher Report that the matchup between Brady and Gronkowski's Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their former team, the New England Patriots, has already been decided for Sunday, October 3 in Week 4, CBS Boston reports.
Pro Football Focus also tweeted that the Bucs-Patriots matchup would be scheduled for the Week 4 edition of Sunday Night FootballonNBC. The website is owned by Chris Collinsworth, who serves as the SNF color commentator.
Brady and Gronkowski both spent their entire NFL careers with the Patriots prior to joining the Buccaneers last offseason.
Brady was selected in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft and led the Pats to six Super Bowl championships during his 20 seasons with the organization. Gronkowski, who was selected by New England at No. 42 overall in the 2010 NFL Draft, spent his first nine seasons in the organization, winning three championships alongside Brady before initially retiring in 2019.
Brady signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent in March 2020 and was soon joined by Gronkowski -- who came out of retirement shortly after Brady's decision -- after he was acquired by the Bucs via trade.
True to form, Brady and Gronkowski enjoyed record-setting performances during Super Bowl LV.
Brady finished Sunday's game with 201 yards and three touchdowns on 21 of 29 passing, winning a record fifth Super Bowl MVP Award, which surpassed his own previous record set in Super Bowl LI (2017.)
Gronkowski led the Buccaneers with six receptions for 67 yards and two touchdowns, the first of which set a new NFL record for most postseason touchdowns by a duo, as the 13th between himself and Brady during their lengthy run as teammates.
Brady and Gronkowski, who had previously appeared in five Super Bowls together prior to Sunday's game, connected on an 8-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, which surpassed former San Francisco 49ers Joe Montana and Jerry Rice's previous record of 12.
Brady later connected with Gronkowski on a 17-yard touchdown with 6:05 remaining in the second quarter to extend the Bucs' lead to 14-3 and set the new record at 14 touchdowns.
The duo has now won four Super Bowls together, while Brady -- who won his record-setting fifth Super Bowl MVP -- has won seven all-time, the most by an NFL quarterback.
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