Nate Burleson fully expects Rob Gronkowski to end his retirement and return to the New England Patriots in 2019.
Burleson, a former NFL wide receiver now working as an analyst for CBS, offered a very detailed prediction regarding Gronkowski’s future, which has been the subject of much debate despite the former Patriots tight end walking away from football in March after New England defeated the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII.
“He’s coming back,” Burleson told The Boston Globe’s Ben Volin this week. “By Week 6, he’s going to get the itch. In Week 7, (Tom) Brady’s going to say, ‘Want to play catch?’ And by Week 8, Rob will be like, ‘Yeah, I’m coming home.’
“I see it. I feel like Miss Cleo. That’s the future.”
Gronkowski will reveal the “next chapter” in his life when meeting with the media Aug. 27 in New York, according to an announcement made Tuesday by a public relations firm. It’d be shocking if the 30-year-old announced a return to football at that time, but perhaps the five-time Pro Bowl pick will reconsider his future at some point. The Patriots, after all, could use a tight end, as they’re very thin at the position right now.
Of course, it’s fair to wonder how long it would take for Gronkowski to work his way back into game shape after skipping training camp, the preseason and the start of the regular season, especially with him looking noticeably thinner in recent videos and having battled several injuries throughout his nine-year NFL career. But Burleson remains confident in his prediction, even suggesting Gronkowski could thrive solely as a receiver playing 25-30 snaps per game.
“He can be a skinny tight end, and I think that’s why he’s going to come back,” Burleson told Volin. “You know how much longer he can play? You remove him from that box, that chaos where he’s picking up blitzes and double-teams and chips by linebackers, now you can spread him out, put him one-on-one. He almost might be better because he’s going to be faster, and lighter, and quicker and more agile.”
Gronkowski, an elite blocker and receiver in his prime, will go down as one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history regardless of whether he returns or not. Plus, he’s made a bunch of money and owns three Super Bowl rings. He really has nothing left to prove.
Retirement can be weird for some athletes, though, and speculation regarding Gronkowski’s future undoubtedly will continue as the Patriots march toward the 2019 campaign and embark on what they hope is another championship run.
