The Return of Gronk: Evaluating Robert Gronkowski's Return To Football

Ever since Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement in the 2019 offseason, most people assumed Gronk would eventually return. There was speculation throughout the season that Gronk would come back for the Patriots' playoff push, but it never happened. Some thought Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick would pluck Rob out of retirement in an attempt to keep Tom Brady. When Brady announced his move to Tampa Bay, it seemed that maybe the crazy 6'6" would maintain retirement. Then however, rumors of a reunion with TB12 in Tampa Bay intensified yesterday and resulted in the Patriots sending one of the greatest TEs of all-time and a 7th round pick to the Buccaneers for a 4th round pick. At first glance, one may call the Patriots lunatics for giving up Gronk for so little, but in reality, it wasn't a terrible deal for New England. Gronkowski's intentions became clear that he wouldn't play for the Patriots and would only return if he could be with Tom, leaving the little leverage for NE. Bill Belichick is an intelligent man and seized an opportunity to flip a player who had no current effect on the team for a draft pick. I'm sure New England would've been pleased if Rob wanted to return to playing in Foxborough, but they were cognizant and turned essentially nothing into something. For the Bucs, there is little risk. Odds are this will be the last hoorah for Gronkowski and he permanently retires after the one year left on his contract expires. Jason Licht gave up a middle round pick for a guy who, at his peak, was one of the most dominant pass catchers in NFL history. We have no idea how Rob Gronkowski will look after a year off a football, but it's a low risk and high reward move that brings a big smile to Tom Brady's face. In acquiring Rob Gronkowski, the future of fellow TE O.J. Howard with Tampa Bay seems to be in the air and he could very well be a part of a trade during the draft. The former Alabama standout has shown flashes of being a top tier TE, but has yet to piece it all together and likely wouldn't net Tampa Bay a large return.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! What do you think of Rob Gronkowski returning to football? How will Gronk fare in Tampa Bay? Let me know your thoughts down below!