When New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski retired in late March, a longtime position of strength quickly became a position of glaring need.
Fast forward a few months later, former Patriot Ben Watson agreed to come out of his own retirement and signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the team. Watson’s contract earns his the most money of any other Patriot tight end on the roster this season, and while it doesn’t write anything in stone come September, the 38-year-old roster likely moves Watson to the top of the depth chart for New England, at least somewhat complementing that glaring need.
While convenient for both sides, Watson said that one decision had nothing to do with the other.
“I considered myself retired, I was processing as such and moving forward as such until late in April when (I) started thinking about it,” Watson said. “So, no that wasn’t a factor for me.”
It doesn’t sound like Watson is counting Gronkowski out just yet, either.
“Honestly, as we’ve seen before, guys feel like they may be retired and then maybe they come back,” Watson said. “So, whatever happens in his situation, he’s a fabulous player, great player, a guy that I watched for a while.”
Watson said the only two places he was considering playing were in New England, where he started as a first-round pick and played for six years, or New Orleans, where he played four of his last five seasons.
What ultimately helped Watson make his decision?
“It was more of a family decision, more of my wife and I talking about what it would look like for us, if we decided to do it, what it would look like for our family,” Watson said. “Just kinda weighing the pros and cons of trying to play again at this point.
Watson will join tight end depth chart that features Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Matt LaCosse. And despite never thinking he would return when he left in 2009, he’s happy to be back.
“You never know in the league,” Watson said. “You never know if one practice is going to be your last day playing football, honestly. To play for this length of time, I consider it a blessing. I don’t think it’s me, I think God just provided an opportunity for me to keep going. You never know if you’re going to come back, but I’m glad that I am.”
