Robert Kraft: ‘We can always pray and hope’ Rob Gronkowski comes back
Patriots owner Robert Kraft recently articulated what many football fans probably feel: that Rob Gronkowski makes a return at some point.
It must have been somewhat bittersweet for fans of the New England Patriots who tuned into the pregame show before last night’s game against the New York Giants. On the one hand, there was a familiar face making his debut as a television analyst, and it was beloved fan favorite Rob Gronkowski.
On the other hand, Gronkowski was in a suit with a microphone on his hand, appearing on the screen well before kickoff… as opposed to appearing on the screen during the 60 minutes of the game itself, dressed in a full Patriots uniform, and with a football in his hand instead (preferably about to be spiked in the end zone, while we’re at it).
Gronkowski acted as many probably expected him to during the pregame coverage. He was over-the-top, he was boisterous, he was irreverent. He was unapologetically ‘Gronk,’ and that’s a good thing. That’s what Fox hired him to be and to do, and he gave them (and most fans around the country) exactly what they wanted.
Unfortunately, as much as New England football fans want to be happy for Gronkowski in his post-NFL-playing-days life, it’s also impossible not to feel a bit sad. Knowing that Gronkowski is still just 30 years old, and even despite all the injuries he’s endured, he’s still just so much better at his position than anybody else the Patriots have on the roster currently.
Hell, he’s so much better than most anybody in the league currently at tight end, and he’s retired.
Gronkowski seems to be all-in on this new chapter of his life. He’s done a number of celebrity appearances, endorsement deals, benefits, charities, etc. He’s hinted at writing a book of some kind (or at least contributing to one about himself), he’s almost a surefire lock for being involved with WWE SmackDown at some point, and now he’s taken on this whole analyst endeavor.
Subsequently, it’s looking increasingly less likely he returns to the Patriots anytime soon.
On the bright side, New England owner Robert Kraft apparently hasn’t given up hope yet. He recently appeared on the NFL Network and re-affirmed his faith that Gronkowski could find his way back to the team… and maybe even this year.
“We all love Gronk, and I think the bottom line is he hasn’t put his retirement papers in. So we can always pray and hope,” Kraft said, per ProFootballTalk’s Michael David Smith. “There is hope for us still with Gronk.”
Next. Which remaining opponents are most dangerous to Pats D?. dark
It’s still a long shot that Gronkowski returns to the NFL as a player at any point in the future, let alone in 2019. But at least it’s comforting to know that the guy who would potentially be signing his paycheck is keeping the door wide-open for a return… if that’s something Gronk ever wants.