Rob Gronkowski has set the record straight once and for all.
"Obviously when I retired I retired for a reason, because I needed to step away. So it would be a no," the former Patriots star tight end said Tuesday on the WEEI Sports Radio Network while answering a caller who asked for a definitive answer whether he would return.
"It would be a no. There it is."
The three-time Super Bowl champion has fielded plenty of questions since his retirement after New England's 13-3 win over the Rams in Super Bowl LIII in February about whether his nine-year career was truly over. His answers had left open the possibility he might return.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft revealed just last week that the 30-year-old had not actually put in his retirement papers during an appearance on the NFL Network's pregame show.
But all the speculation, Gronkowski explained Tuesday, has been just that: speculation.
"I never say no because I said no and everyone was like 'yeah, he's kidding.' It's a no," Gronkowski said. "In my mind that's how it is. It's a no. I say I keep it open because even when I do say no people are like 'yeah right, he's kidding.' They always spin it. But in my mind it's a no. There you go."
Since announcing his retirement on social media in March, the five-time Pro Bowler has moved on to new ventures. In August he began publicly advocating for the use of CBD products for pain relief and last week he officially joined FOX as an NFL analyst.
He had, however, repeated the same line Tuesday that he had every other time he's been asked about a possible return.
"The love has been shown, for sure ... It was never really about that. But like I said I would have to be feeling it, mentally and physically," Gronkowski said. "It would need to be 10 days or a couple weeks of me just feeling it, like I need to go play football again. I don't know how I would describe it. That's what I'm trying to say. I'm enjoying myself right now. I don't have that itch. If I had that itch I would go back."
