Rob Gronkowski returning? Pats “tentatively” optimistic
Still waiting on an answer, the New England Patriots are reportedly “tentatively” optimistic that tight end Rob Gronkowski will return in 2019.
Will he or won’t he?
That’s the million-dollar question hanging like a dark cloud over what has otherwise been a sunny, celebratory New England Patriots offseason. The afterglow of winning Super Bowl 53 and claiming their record-tying sixth NFL championship is sure to shine a whole lot longer if superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski decides to return for another season.
According to at least one source, the team is growing a bit more confident in Gronk’s return with every day that passes. A report Wednesday from NFL insider Ian Rapoport cited sources close to Gronkowski as suggesting “they think there’s a better chance that he comes back again than he doesn’t.”
Rapoport didn’t stop with his prognostications just there, however. He also reported that the Patriots are “tentatively” approaching the coming months under the assumption that No. 87 will in fact be out there when the 2019 season gets underway.
In discussing the TE market, I passed my along what I know on #Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski: His agent says he has not made a firm decision, but the team is tentatively planning as if he'll be there in 2019 and some people close to him believe he wants to play. pic.twitter.com/YRyC36Xaoi
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2019
"“Here is my understanding,” Rapoport told cameras on NFL Network. “Agent Drew Rosenhaus has said there’s been no decision that Rob Gronkowski has made. He’s talked to him recently. He has not made a firm decision on whether or not he wants to come back… I do believe that the Patriots are at least tentatively planning as if they will have Gronk for the 2019 season. Obviously, a big question still needs to be answered, but that is the way it’s trending.”"
Interestingly enough, Rapoport also followed up the segment by stating that New England had been “in the tight end market a little bit” during the early days of free agency’s legal tampering period. The tight end market he references isn’t particularly deep or impressive this year, so it naturally leads one to wonder who the Patriots might be looking at.
Next. Which players should the Pats target in free agency?. dark
Hopefully, for the sake of the team’s roster construction in free agency and in the upcoming draft next month, New England will get a definitive answer one way or another soon from the all-world tight end.