The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were hoping to repeat as Super Bowl champions this season. However, following their loss to the Los Angeles Rams in a wild playoff game on Sunday, those plans have been dashed.
Now the Bucs have to play the waiting game to see if Tom Brady will indeed return for another season or if the future Hall of Famer will decide to hang up the cleats.
The team also has to worry about whether not tight end Rob Gronkowski will return next season as well. Gronk initially retired after the 2018 season but following Brady to the Bucs in 2020 in order to be part of their Super Bowl run last season. However, it’s unclear how much more Gronkowski has in the tank or if he’d prefer to get back to other endeavors.
“I’m really going to basically do what’s best for myself in terms of the football world,” Gronkowski said Monday. “It’s going to be a decision based upon of where I’m at in a couple weeks.”
Gronk weighing his decision to return w/Brady's decision: "I’m really going to basically do what’s best for myself in terms of the football world. It’s going to be a decision based upon of where I’m at in a couple weeks." #GoBucs
— Sara Walsh (@Sara_Walsh) January 24, 2022
A lot of people are speculation that as goes Brady, so goes Gronk. But the for time being, it sounds like the 32-year-old isn’t elimiating any options from the table.
“I’ll never take anything off the board,” Gronkowski said, via the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud.
#Bucs TE Rob Gronkowski says he has to take some time away from football before deciding his future. He said he would consider playing even if Tom Brady retires, insisting "I'll never take anything off the board.''
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) January 24, 2022
Gronk had 55 receptions for 802 yards and six touchdowns this past season. While that’s far off his career-highs from his New England Patriots days, it’s still some solid production for an older tight end. If he wanted to keep going, he’d certainly have the ability.
