Back in December, Rob Gronkowski said he was “bored” not playing football, so he contacted the Bucs about a possible return to the team. The Bucs had several conversations with Gronkowski around Thanksgiving about him possibly reuniting with quarterback Tom Brady to help the struggling squad secure a playoff berth.
That return never happened, but it does not mean it won’t happen ever again.
The 33-year-old is also thinking of returning to the NFL in 2023, and that may factor in where Brady may land for yet another season.
“It was more of a conversation than anything else,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said at the time. “Usually, when you have to think about playing, you probably don’t want to play. When it’s just a discussion, I didn’t think much of it at the time.”
The Bucs were just 6-8 at the time, and although they won the division, they finished under .500 and lost to the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round.
Gronkowski first retired after the 2018 season with the Patriots. He agreed to rejoin Brady in Tampa Bay in 2020, and the Bucs traded for his rights from New England. It worked out as he played in 16 games, caught 45 passes for 623 yards and seven touchdowns in the regular season.
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In the playoffs, Gronk had eight catches for 110 yards. That included six receptions on seven targets for 67 yards and two touchdowns in the Super Bowl 55 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
