Rob Gronkowski only was going to strap the pads back on under the right circumstances.
To label the situation Gronk now finds himself in as ideal might even be an understatement.
After sitting out the 2019 NFL season, Gronkowski ended his retirement to join the Buccaneers. Not only is the future Hall of Famer reuniting with Tom Brady, he’s also now a part of arguably the most talented collection of pass-catchers in the league. Gronk is set up to succeed in Tampa Bay, but there’s seemingly not a hefty amount of pressure on the five-time Pro Bowl selection to light it up on a game-by-game basis.
Gronkowski opened up about his comeback during a recent appearance on “Tiki & Tierney,” noting Brady was a game-changer in his decision to take his talents to Central Florida.
“I don’t like to spill all the beans, but when Tom went down to Tampa, it just looked like a great situation, a great opportunity,” Gronkowski said, as transcribed by CBS Sports Radio. “I wasn’t just going to come back out of retirement just to come out of retirement. . . . Definitely one of (the factors) was Tom going down to Tampa. That was a big connection. To gain chemistry with a quarterback is not an easy task. That’s time you got to put in. That’s a lot of work you got to put it. And we put in work for the last — before this year — nine years. I just kind of felt like it was a great situation to continue with Tom.”
Brady wasn’t the sole reason in Gronk’s decision to join the Bucs, however. The new chapter in the three-time Super Bowl champion’s career will allow him to spend more time with his mother, who only lives two hours outside Tampa Bay.
