Is Rob Gronkowski planning to end his NFL career playing near his hometown?
The four-time Super Bowl champion said last week that he'd retire if he had "to decide right now," but said he typically needs a few weeks to evaluate the situation before making a concrete decision.
That quote came days before reports that Tom Brady, his teammate for all of his nine NFL seasons with the New England Patriots (2010-18) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020-21), was expected to retire, though Brady's camp has denied the quarterback has made a decision regarding his NFL future.
Gronkowski signed a one-year deal in 2021, stating (via CBS Sports) his intention to be "a free agent after every season," which means he could seek a new deal elsewhere should Brady opt for retirement.
Bally Sports' Michael Silver reported that the 31-year-old tight end considered a similar offer from the Buffalo Bills before ultimately re-signing with Tampa Bay last offseason.
"Before re-signing with the Bucs, Rob Gronkowski considered a similar offer from the Bills...his hometown team," Silver tweeted last March.
The Bills were a coin toss away from getting the ball in overtime during last week's 42-36 AFC Divisional Round playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and will likely be a favorite to contend next season.
Buffalo offense includes Josh Allen, one of the league's top young quarterbacks, and a cast of talented passing attack options including Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs, AFC Divisional Round standout Gabriel Davis and fellow tight end Dawson Knox.
That could entice Gronkowski to leave a potentially Brady-less Bucs team heading into the 2022 season should he opt to continue his own legendary career.
Last Tuesday (January 25), Gronkowski admitted that he was unsure of his NFL future during an appearance on TMZ Sports.
"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. I would be like, 'No, I'm not playing,'" Gronkowski said. "It's way too soon, but like, 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, how I feel. I just want to heal completely, see where my thoughts are from there, then.
"I would say, really, you really start thinking of what you're really going to do in about three, four, five weeks from now, especially in my situation."
"But you never know, in three weeks it might be yes," Gronkowski added, also acknowledging that that's "probably" a feeling he's had during most recent offseasons.
Gronkowski said Brady's decision would also play a major factor in whether he decides to return for his 12th NFL season prior to Saturday's reports.
Last Monday (January 24), Gronkowski, 32, addressed reporters hours after the Buccaneers' 30-27 NFC Divisional Round loss to the Los Angeles Rams, and said he could see a scenario where he continues his NFL career even if his longtime teammate Brady, 44, decides to retire.
"There could be a scenario like that," Gronkowski told reporters, via 95.3 WDAE. "I will never throw anything off the board because you never know how anything is going to play out. It's the NFL. It's one of the craziest businesses out there. You see organizations just totally flip year in and year out sometimes.
"I'm just going to really basically do what is basically best for myself in terms of the football world. It's basically going to be a decision upon where I'm at in a couple weeks."
Gronkowski also shared a tweet that seemed to be teasing speculation about his NFL future last Monday.
“Year 11 in the books. What a ride it’s been,” Gronkowski wrote. “Grateful to the Bucs for giving me an opportunity to play another year. To my teammates, thank you for giving everything you had. The sweat we shed & memories made will never be forgotten. Thanks to the #Krewe too.Year 12???”
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