Gronk is back! Patriots tight end, 30, comes out of retirement to reunite with longtime teammate Tom Brady after requesting a trade to Tampa Bay
- Rob Gronkowski is reportedly reuniting with longtime teammate Tom Brady in Tampa Bay after un-retiring and requesting a trade from the Patriots to the Bucs
- The Patriots accommodated his trade request, sending Gronkowski and a seventh-round pick in this week’s NFL Draft to Tampa Bay for fourth-round pick
- Gronkowski already passed his physical, removing the final hurdle to the trade
- Brady signed a two-year, $50 million contract with the Buccaneers last month
- Gronkowski retired after winning his third Super Bowl alongside Brady in 2019
- The 30-year-old tight end is reportedly gaining weight again after being out of football for a year. He had been competing as a wrestler with the WWE
- Gronkowski had one year and $10million remaining on his deal when he retired
Retired NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski is reuniting with longtime teammate Tom Brady in Tampa Bay.
As first reported by the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Gronkowski told his former team, the New England Patriots, that he was ready to return to the NFL after a year of retirement, but that he wanted to play with Brady on the Buccaneers.
The Patriots accommodated his trade request, sending Gronkowski and a seventh-round pick in this week’s NFL Draft to Tampa Bay for a fourth-round selection, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Rapoport also reported that the 30-year-old Gronkowski has already passed his physical, removing the final hurdle to the trade.
Gronkowski (left) and Brady (right) won three Super Bowls together in New England
Gronkowski had one year and $10 million remaining on his contract when he retired following his third Super Bowl win alongside Brady in February of 2019. He had been battling back problems for several seasons prior to his decision to step away from football.
But despite his injuries, Gronkowski never firmly shut the door on a comeback.
‘I’m feeling good right now,’ Gronkowski said on Watch What Happens with Andy Cohen. ‘I’m happy where I’m at and you just never know, man. You just never know. You never know. I’m not totally done … I got to get that feeling back.’
The 30-year-old tight end is reportedly gaining weight again after being out of football for a year. He had been competing as a wrestler with the WWE and was a spokesperson for a line of CBD products.
Brady, 42, signed a two-year, $50 million with the Buccaneers last month following 20 seasons and six Super Bowl victories with the Patriots.
Few England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, left; head coach Bill Belichick, center; and Rob Gronkowski during the rally in City Hall Plaza following the Patriots Super Bowl LI Victory Parade in Boston on February 7, 2017