Tom Brady may be done with football, but he’s rooting for tight end Rob Gronkowski to stick with the game.
Gronk, who already retired once, is considering playing in 2022 but hasn’t committed to a return to the NFL — especially with Brady retiring. Gronk will also be a free agent in 2022, which only increases his uncertainty.
Brady went on to his own podcast, “Let’s Go,” to discuss Gronk’s difficult retirement decision. Brady just made that difficult decision this offseason.
“I don’t know (if he’ll keep playing),” Brady told Jim Gray on the weekly podcast. “I certainly hope so. I’ve watched him basically practice and play since he started in the NFL. He could certainly do it. It’s a big commitment for all of us. It’s a big commitment to keep playing, and I know when he’s willing to make that commitment, he’s unstoppable out there as a player. He’ll have a lot of opportunity in every aspect of life because of who he is and his personality and what he brings to what he does, so I sure hope so.”
Gronk, a former second-round pick, joined the Patriots in 2010 and played in New England until 2018. He spent 2019 in retirement before engineering a trade to the Buccaneers for two seasons (2020, 2021). He has 621 catches, 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns.
“There’s a lot of players that are going to be facing those tough decisions and really weighing the risks, the rewards of continuing to play,” Brady said. “But Gronk’s someone that I love. He’s an inspirational person to me and an inspirational friend, teammate. I think football’s a lot better when he’s in it.”
