It's that time of year again when rumors begin circulating about where players might end up for the 2025 season, including new signings and trades, which inevitably has the Patriots involved in one way or another. They're fortunate to be among the top teams in the league as far as being projected to land some top-quality talent, which is especially great considering how much help the roster needs.
But at the same time, they're also involved in some rumors that, to some, might be getting kind of old at this point.
The Patriots are no stranger to former players being rumored to come out of retirement and join the league again, just not in New England. That has been the case with tight end Rob Gronkowski and even Tom Brady, both of whom retired briefly and eventually came back in hopes of winning another Super Bowl.
They accomplished that together with the Buccaneers in 2020 and attempted to win another the following year, but Gronkowski retired, and Brady never got there again before he hung up his cleats in 2023.
But according to the latest rumors, one of them is allegedly entertaining the idea of another comeback, which seems a bit hard to believe given the circumstances and the time away from the game.
Latest rumors suggest Rob Gronkowski is considering coming out of retirement for an AFC return
As the NFL is amid the Combine this week, Gronkowski is making headlines for his rumored interest in leaving the FOX Sports halftime show and returning to the field as soon as the 2025 season.
That's the latest rumor according to Broncos reporter Cecil Lammey, who also claims that the tight end is extremely interested in the Broncos, given his ties to Sean Payton from working together at FOX.
🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨@CecilLammey reporting Rob Gronkowski is training to return to the NFL! Where is he headed? Check out Cecil's video to find out! pic.twitter.com/PGGwQ5jVsk
— Footballguys Fantasy Football (@Footballguys) February 25, 2025
Related: Rob Gronkowski says he’s open to retiring with the Patriots
While it's entirely plausible that Gronkowski can still go and play at a high level, even at nearly 36 years old, it's hard to imagine there's much credibility to this rumor, given that he stepped away from football three years ago. On top of that, he had previously had interest from other teams wanting to sign him, yet he only wanted to play with Brady, which is why he joined the Bucs after missing the 2019 season.
The idea that he is seriously considering a return to the league but specifically the Broncos is hard to believe. They're in a division with the Chiefs, who have reigned supreme for the past several seasons, and quarterback Bo Nix is only entering his second season.
So, the premise that the quarterback and Payton are enough for Gronkowski to consider unretiring after three years seems a bit far-fetched.
Time will ultimately tell, but it's hard to imagine a scenario where this ever becomes reality.