Have we truly seen the last of Rob Gronkowski on the football field?
The now-former New England Patriots tight end announced his decision to walk away from the game in late-March, but many still are viewing Gronkowski’s retirement as temporary.
Count ESPN NFL reporter Jeff Darlington in that company.
Darlington, former NFL center Jeff Saturday and host Wendi Nix on Tuesday issued a post-draft evaluation of the Patriots during “NFL Live” on ESPN. Darlington was tasked with making a bold prediction for the reigning Super Bowl champs, and after starting with a take on a soon-to-be-rookie, he shifted his attention to Gronk.
“My bold prediction was N’Keal Harry will lead in the AFC East in receiving,” Darlington said. “First of all, I think Tom Brady is going to find quickly that this is a great weapon for him to have. And again, I love the fact that (Bill) Belichick invested in an offensive weapon for Tom Brady, which he doesn’t always do. But I should say, my bold prediction really should be Rob Gronkowski returning to the Patriots. … Rob Gronkowski is back on the field by Week 9. Put it on the bottom line. Put it on the ticker.”
Darlington’s prediction for Harry very well could come to fruition. The AFC East isn’t exactly a hub for elite wide receivers, and the Patriots likely will put their first-round draft pick in position to be an impact player from the get-go. Aside from being an above-average deep threat, Harry is tremendous after the catch, which should allow him to swell his receiving yards.
As for Gronkowski, New England undoubtedly would welcome his return. This probably is true for every team across the league, but the Patriots are particularly slim at tight end. The franchise surprisingly elected not to address the position through the draft, and their current depth chart leaves quite a bit to be desired.
It seemingly would go against Belichick’s M.O. to bring on a player that late in the season, but we have a feeling the Patriots coach could make an exception for Gronkowski. And as far as the likelihood of a comeback is concerned, Gronk’s own agent has a “gut feeling” his client will return to the gridiron.
