By: Alice Robert
Head coach Todd Bowles said that since the tight end had retired for a second time in his career, it was more of a “conversation.”
by Alice Robert
Rob Gronkowski Contacted Bucs last month about Possible Return
Gronkowski had multiple conversations with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers around Thanksgiving about returning to the NFL to help his former team make the playoffs, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
“It was more of a conversation than anything else,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said, according to Stroud. “Usually, when you have to think about playing, you probably don’t want to play. When it’s just a discussion, I didn’t think much of it at the time.”
Rob Gronkowski contacted Bucs about possible return
All season, Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans have been hopeful that tight end Rob Gronkowski would come out of retirement once again to rejoin Tom Brady and help the Bucs make another playoff run.
Gronkowski retired for the second time following the 2021 season after catching 55 passes for 802 yards and six touchdowns. Gronkowski caused a stir earlier in the week when he fired off a tweet seeming to insinuate that a return to football was in the cards.
Gronkowski’s return to the Tampa Bay sidelines couldn’t hurt considering the Bucs have struggled to a 6-8 record. Brady and the offense have failed to put enough points on the board, averaging just 17.6 points per game.
Tampa Bay has not effectively replaced Gronkowski, who totaled 802 receiving yards — his most since 2017 — last season. Gronk’s first unretirement, which keyed a 2020 trade with the Patriots, played a significant role in the Bucs claiming their second Super Bowl title two years ago. Injury issues led to his 2019 exit, and the four-time All-Pro pass catcher did miss five games due to injuries — fractured ribs and a punctured lung — last season. The All-Decade performer remained one of the league’s best tight ends, however, and has proven impossible to replace.
Gronkowski and the Buccaneers Talk
Gronkowski and the Buccaneers talked about different options for his return, including Gronkowski possibly joining the practice squad to get back into football shape. But, the Bucs were also willing to add Gronkowski to the 53-man roster. Still, Gronkowski decided to stay retired.
Via Stroud, head coach Todd Bowles said, “It was more of a conversation than anything else. … Usually, when you have to think about playing, you probably don’t want to play. When it’s just a discussion, I didn’t think much of it at the time.”
Gronkowski’s first retirement lasted one season — 2019 — as he returned to join Tom Brady with the Bucs in 2020. He started all 16 games that season, recording 45 catches for 623 yards with seven touchdowns. Despite missing several games with fractured ribs, Gronkowski caught 55 passes for 802 yards with six TDs.
The Bucs offense has struggled in 2022, currently ranking No. 18 in yards and No. 28 in points. That’s largely because the club can’t run the ball — ranking No. 32 in attempts, yards, touchdowns, and yards per carry. Conversely, the Bucs are No. 1 in passing attempts and No. 4 in passing yards, though they’re No. 16 in passing touchdowns.
