Rob Gronkowski had his most productive game with the Buccaneers on Sunday, catching five passes for 78 yards with a touchdown in Tampa Bay's 38-10 win over the Green Bay Packers.
Finally, it looks like Gronkowski might have a sizable role in Tampa Bay's offense moving forward. And finally, it sounds like the 31-year-old is truly enjoying his first season with the Bucs.
"It is a lot of fun, especially last night -- that was a great example," Gronkowski told reporters Monday during a video conference. "It was just a lot of fun to be out there winning a big game, but also just the atmosphere of football, being under the lights when the sun went down, the stadium was popping, the atmosphere just felt unbelievable. Just everything -- there was a breeze, the fans, they were cheering loud, they were going wild and it was just super cool. It's a lot of fun to be back out there winning games and doing what we love to do."
This isn't to suggest Gronkowski was miserable before Sunday's blowout victory, which improved Tampa Bay's record to 4-2. There have been moments -- particularly while clowning around with Tom Brady -- when the four-time All-Pro has seemed legitimately happy with his decision to come out of retirement after sitting out the 2019 season.
But there have been other times when it's been fair to wonder how much Gronkowski has left in the tank. And his insistence a few weeks ago that he was a "blocking tight end" raised a few eyebrows, especially coupled with comments made by head coach Bruce Arians questioning whether the former New England Patriots star can outrun defenders anymore.
Nevertheless, Gronk resurfaced in a big way Sunday, turning in a vintage performance filled with both solid play and infectious enthusiasm.
