Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, who surprised the team by announcing his retirement recently, admitted that the itch to return to the football field might pop up during the season. In an interview on the Rich Eisen Show, Gronkowski said there’s definitely going to be times when you miss it and everything. Gronkowski said that as of now, he wouldn't talk about a possible comeback because it's the offseason, but he will weigh himself when the NFL regular season begins. Gronkowski played nine years with the Patriots before announcing his retirement.
However, Gronkowski insisted that his decision to hang up his cleats and pads was the right time and the right thing to do, saying it helped take off the enormous load off his back.
Gronkowski enjoying retirement
“I've been playing football for 15 years straight in a row of that grind. Just relaxing right now feels good,” said Gronkowski. During the interview, Gronkowski told Eisen that he cherishes the break that he’s getting, saying this is the first time in years that he won’t be working on a football field come August. Since his retirement, Gronkowski said he’s just relaxing and doing a lot traveling to see his family and enjoy himself. Gronkowski was usually in the Patriots’ training camp during August.
Gronkowski also admitted that he lost weight, down to 250 pounds from 268 last season. The weight loss helped Gronkowski to feel light and feel loose after weighing around 260 since he was 18 years old.
Gronkowski jokes about returning come playoffs
During the interview, Eisen decided to have some role-playing with Gronkowski.
Eisen played the role of veteran quarterback Tom Brady, a close friend of the retired tight end. Eisen, like Brady, then asked Gronkowski if he would return, which Gronkowski replied: "Thank you, I love you, I miss you, but I'm just relaxin', Tommy." Eisen then asked, “there's no chance?”, to which Gronkowski replied, "call me when you get to the playoffs." Earlier, wide receiver Julian Edelman believes that Gronkowski will make his return to the Patriots at some point in the coming season.
As of now, the Patriots are finding a suitable replacement for Gronkowski at tight end. The Patriots have Matt LaCosse as the top tight end in their depth chart after the team released veteran tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins. The Patriots also signed veteran tight end Ben Watson, but he is suspended for the first four games of the 2019 season. Recently, the Patriots acquired tight end Michael Roberts from the Detroit Lions, but the trade was voided after he failed a physical. The Patriots are also reported to be eyeing another free agent tight end before the season begins.
