Are Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski mulling retirement together?
By Jerry Trotta
The New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally have something in common: both are eliminated from the playoffs.
Sure, the Buccaneers lasted one round longer than the Patriots, but at least Bill Belichick won’t have the possibility of Tom Brady winning an eighth championship hanging over his head for the next several weeks.
For Patriots fans, though, it probably hurt to see Brady lose the way he did.
The 44-year-old led a second-half comeback, that was admittedly aided by some ugly Rams turnovers, only to watch his defense give up a pair of huge completions to Cooper Kupp to set up the game-winning field goal in regulation.
The strangest part of the loss? Brady was noncommittal about playing another season, which we heard rumblings about before the game even started.
During the latest episode of his “Let’s Go” podcast with co-host Jim Gray, Brady sounded more open to retirement than we were expecting, citing the pain his wife, Gisele Bündchen, feels when he gets hit.
Tom Brady on his Let’s Go podcast about his wife and family and football. “It pains her to see me get hit out there. And she deserves what she needs from me as a husband and my kids deserve what they need from me as a dad.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) January 25, 2022
Could former Patriots Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski retire together?
Brady has talked extensively in the past about playing until age 50, but that discussion quieted a lot this past season. In a vacuum, it seems like his future will hinge on his hunger, or lack thereof, to pursue another championship.
After reading his next quote from the podcast, it’s hard to gauge how motivated Brady is to add an eighth Super Bowl ring to his collection. Then again, this could all just be posturing from the three-time MVP.
Tom Brady on his Let’s Go podcast. “The team doesn’t deserve anything less than my best. And if I feel like I'm not committed to that, or I can't play at a championship level, then you gotta give someone else a chance to play. And, you know, we'll see.”
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) January 25, 2022
That’s certainly a valid point from Brady, but do we really think he’s going to just walk away? The last time we checked, the Buccaneers were legitimate title contenders before Chris Godwin’s season-ending injury and the Antonio Brown debacle.
Bring Godwin back on a team-friendly deal, revamp the secondary, re-sign some other key free agents, and Tampa Bay will return as one of the favorites in the NFC, which, as evidenced by the 49ers’ run, is wide open.
Not so fast.
On Monday night, a full 24 hours after the Bucs fell at home to the Rams, Rob Gronkowski fired off a cryptic tweet about his NFL future.
Year 11 in the books 📚 What a ride it’s been. Grateful to the Bucs for giving me an opportunity to play another year. To my teammates, thank you for giving everything you had. The sweat we shed & memories made will never be forgotten. Thanks to the #Krewe too 🏴☠️
— Rob Gronkowski (@RobGronkowski) January 25, 2022
Year 12??? 👀
What do we have here? Is it possible Brady and Gronkowski ride off into the sunset together after sharing a locker room for 11 seasons?
If we had to bet our money on one player retiring, it’d be Gronk, who caught 55 passes for 802 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games this season. He’ll turn 33 in May and missed five games due to a rib injury.
Like last offseason, though, Gronkowski’s future will likely be contingent on whether Brady laces ’em up for a 23rd season.
At this juncture, it sounds like it could go either way.
