While Tom Brady will be back with the Buccaneers for another season, it’s uncertain if his tight end will stand. Speaking to TMZ Sports, Rob Gronkowski said he was unsure if he would play in 2022.
“Right now, I’m not ready to go back into that field,” Gronkowski said (via ESPN.com). “I’m not ready to devote myself to the game of football just yet.”
“Even in your 30’s, I mean, you can’t just slack off and just be 50% all-in and you’ll get caught in the game and it’ll just spit you out. You have to be fully committed. I’m not ready yet, I won’t sign a contract until I’m fully ready.”
Gronk has obviously flirted with retirement in the past and has had to sit out the entire 2019 season. He reunited with Brady in Tampa Bay for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, but the tight end has declined to commit to a 2022 campaign. Brady’s exit and withdrawal have fueled talks that Gronkowski might try again, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the player simply decides to hang up his shoes, either.
Despite appearing in just 12 games, Gronkowski managed to beat his 2020 numbers last year, finishing with 55 receptions for 802 yards and six touchdowns. with OJ Howard On the way to Buffalo Cameron Brate currently leads the deep chart at the tight end.
While the 32-year-old didn’t want to discuss his own future, he was more than eager to talk about Brady’s offseason. The tight end admitted he wasn’t surprised when Brady announced he would indeed be returning for another season in 2022.
“I knew he was going to come back, but I didn’t think he was going to come back this year, to tell the truth,” he said. “I thought he would come back in a year and spend some quality time with his family.”