Tom Brady will see a familiar face when he suits up for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: former New England Patriots teammate Rob Gronkowski is coming out of retirement to join him in Florida.
“He tells me he feels fantastic, the best he’s ever felt,” his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told ESPN on Tuesday. “His weight’s back up to 260. He passed his physical with flying colors today. He’s just really excited about playing football again, and being in Florida is exciting for him.”
Gronkowski had announced his retirement in March 2019, citing the toll injuries had taken on his body. However, he is still only 30 and has kept in shape over the last year, during which he appeared as an NFL analyst on Fox. Gronkowski is considered one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history, and the temptation of reuniting with Brady – with whom he won three Super Bowls – appears to have been too much to resist.
We've agreed to trade for TE Rob Gronkowski.
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) April 22, 2020
📰: https://t.co/zaGisKOSFu pic.twitter.com/lujKVbOJFu
“I’m back,” Gronkowski told Fox Sports on Tuesday. “I always said when I have that feeling and it feels right, I will be ready to take the field again. And I have that feeling. I’m ready.”
Gronkowski is still technically under contract with the Patriots, and New England will receive a fourth-round draft pick from the Buccaneers as part of the trade. The Buccaneers will receive a seventh-round pick in return.
The NFL named Gronkowski to the league’s 100th anniversary all-time team, a roster that also included Brady. He was named an All-Pro four times during his time with the Patriots, although he would have appeared more often if it were not for the injuries that plagued his career.
In March, Brady left the Patriots after two decades and six Super Bowl titles. Tuesday’s trade gives the Bucs a potentially devastating offense, with Brady and Gronkowski alongside two highly talented wide receivers, Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. Tampa Bay last reached the playoffs in 2007.
