When Rob Gronkowski retired from the NFL in 2019, many thought he was done for good due to injuries he sustained throughout his career.
But the retirement stint was short-lived as the tight end returned, requested a trade from the New England Patriots and joined Tom Brady on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers en route to a Super Bowl championship in February.
Gronkowski’s second chapter in the NFL certainly is treating him well, but does the tight end miss retirement at all?
“It was a great decision and I’m definitely glad I’m still playing,” Gronkowski said, via ProFootballTalk. “It’s a grind at times, but overall it always pays off.”
The 32-year-old played in all 16 regular-season games in 2020 and racked up 45 catches for 623 yards with seven touchdowns. With training camp behind the Bucs, preseason underway and a bit of normalcy restored, Gronkowski believes he is better than last year.
“I’ve been here all offseason and now for camp, and I feel like I’m doing a lot better this year for sure,” Gronkowski said. “Conditioning wise, coming off a year and not playing, and then heading into a camp like this, it’s hard work. … It’s night and day from where I was last year in training camp to where I am now.”
A healthy Gronk is a scary Gronk, which could signal trouble for opposing defenses.
