On Tuesday, Rob Gronkowski gave his most direct response yet regarding rumors about whether he’ll eventually rejoin the New England Patriots.
“When I retired, I retired for a reason: because I needed to step away,” the former Patriots tight end said on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show.” “So it would be a no. There it is.”
On Friday, Julian Edelman was asked whether he believes his former teammate, and the Patriots wide receiver unsurprisingly played things close to the vest while acknowledging he’d welcome back Gronkowski with open arms.
“Yeah, I don’t know. If he does, hey, that’s awesome. We need it,” Edelman said on “The Greg Hill Show” ahead of the Patriots’ Week 7 game against the New York Jets. “But you’re not really worried about that. You’re worried about the Jets, who you’re playing, your opponent this week and that’s just how it goes.”
It’s hard to imagine the Gronkowski speculation ending anytime soon, especially with tight ends Matt LaCosse (knee) and Ryan Izzo (concussion) battling injuries. The Patriots re-signed Ben Watson and added Eric Tomlinson this week to bolster their depth at the position, but Gronkowski obviously is in a different class. He’d be a welcomed addition should he change his mind on retirement. New England’s receiving corps also is banged up, with Edelman, Josh Gordon and Phillip Dorsett all dealing with ailments on the heels of Antonio Brown’s departure.
For now, however, it appears Gronkowski is happy in retirement. He’s doing the whole CBD thing and debuted as an NFL analyst for FOX Sports before the Patriots’ Week 6 win over the New York Giants last Thursday.
“Pretty standard Gronk. Thought it was awesome, I think he’s great for TV,” Edelman said of Gronk’s broadcast career. “But (we’re) on to the Jets.”
