Odds Rob Gronkowski un-retires currently at 40%, says source

As rumors continue to follow Rob Gronkowski this offseason, one source close to the tight end believes there’s about a 40% chance he returns sometime in 2019.

Ex-Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, internationally famous for being a big kid at heart, must really be enjoying this NFL offseason. Now over four months deep into his presumed retirement, the 30-year-old continues to mess with the minds of his adoring fans – particularly those based in the New England region of the country.

One minute he’s swearing all the talk of a comeback should be put officially to rest. The next minute, he’s catching passes from old teammate and close friend Tom Brady on campus at UCLA. Some reports claim there’s no way he ever returns to the NFL, not considering how close he came to sustaining permanent injury with a bulging disc in his back. Others suggest it’s just a matter of time till he rejoins his old squad in Foxborough.

So which is it? Is Gronk gone for good, or will he come running to the rescue if Brady rings him up later this year?

According to ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio, a source close to No. 87 swears that there’s about a 40% chance he changes his mind and returns to the Pats sometime this season. Those are far and away the best odds that anyone has heard – and the best news that any Bostonian has heard – since Gronkowski himself may or may not have let slip to Drew Brees during the ESPYs that he was “coming back” this year, per FanSided’s own Sam Minton.

Florio also states that if Brady makes a direct appeal to Gronkowski to return, that could be a “difference maker.” And although he often talks his way into becoming Foxborough’s Public Enemy No. 1 with his anti-Brady hot takes, ESPN’s Max Kellerman seems to concur.