Rob Gronkowski will “be back,” says Jets safety Jamal Adams

While New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski made his retirement sound pretty definite, at least one player from a division rival thinks differently.

Sometimes unexpected support comes from the most unlikely of places. The New England Patriots and the New York Jets have been bitter divisional rivals for decades, and it’s safe to say that their players, coaches, and fans just really don’t like each other.

But that doesn’t mean there can’t exist a level of respect across enemy lines, especially when it involves two players at the highest level of their respective positions. Rob Gronkowski epitomized what it meant to dominate at tight end for the past nine years of his NFL career. Jamal Adams has only been in the league for two seasons, but he’s played in and started all 32 regular season games for the Jets during that time as their strong safety, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2018 along the way.

Because of the positions they play on their teams, Adams was often tasked with covering Gronkowski one-on-one in the four meetings between New England and New York these past two seasons. While Gronk mostly got the best of his opponent, that didn’t stop Adams from using the challenge as motivation to get better as a player.

Now that Gronkowski has announced his retirement from the league, Adams could have celebrated the talent drain at the tight end position within the Patriots and within the AFC East as a blessing for him, making his job all the easier. Instead, the rangy safety seems to be lamenting the missed opportunity to continue competing against the best, which should earn him at least a grudging respect from Patriots fans (even if he reportedly injured our mascot during a Pro Bowl practice).

"“I was sad,” Adams told reporters this past Thursday. “I was upset because going against him is what I look forward to. I like going against the best, and obviously, he was the best. I hope he comes back. I know he will. I don’t believe it yet.”"

Pressed further on whether he truly believed Gronkowski’s retirement wouldn’t stick, Adams made a bold public declaration.

“He’ll be back,” Adams said. “He’ll be back. He’s not fooling me.”

New England fans are undoubtedly hoping that Adams is right in his assessment.

Even if the Patriots address tight end in the upcoming NFL Draft or by orchestrating a trade for a veteran from another team, there’s no one quite like Gronkowski in the league – even an older, somewhat-depleted Gronkowski. Gronk showed enough in last season’s playoff push (particularly in the AFC Championship Game and in Super Bowl 53) to dispel any notions that he was all washed up.

Let’s just hope Adams knows what he’s talking about, as strange as that is to say about a New York Jets player.