Following the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ early playoff exit, the future of quarterback Tom Brady will again be on the spotlight, on whether he will return for his 24th season or start a career in broadcasting. But in case he returns, Brady’s former teammate and close friend, tight end Rob Gronkowski said he doesn’t see a reunion between the quarterback and his old team, the New England Patriots. "I would 100 percent be surprised if he went back to New England, no doubt," Gronkowski told brothers Jason and Travis Kelce in a clip from Wednesday's episode of "New Heights."
While Gronkowski said a reunion between the Patriots and Brady would be “nuts” and a “crazy story”, he doesn’t see that happening.
However, Gronkowski hasn’t discounted the possibility that Brady might indeed return to the Patriots, where he started his Hall of Fame-bound career as a 199th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. “I think that would be a tough shot for him, but it's open,” Gronkowski added.
In a previous interview, Gronkowski said that the Patriots would be more than happy to receive Brady in case he decides to return to the team that he led to six Super Bowl titles in two decades before signing with the Buccaneers in 2000. Just recently, Gronkowski expressed his belief that the 45-year-old Brady could play until he’s 50 and there’s a possibility that he would return next season.
Brady’s 23rd season ended abruptly following the Buccaneers’ 31-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in their NFC Wild Card clash.
Brady, who was previously 7-0 against the Cowboys, completed 35 of 66 passes for 351 yards and two touchdowns with an interception, but the Buccaneers trailed 18-0 at the half and never recovered from there.
Brady taking it one day at a time
In his post-game interview, Brady spoke about his future, saying he would take it one day at a time before making a decision.
Before this season, Brady retired for 41 days before he decided to return for his 23rd NFL season and third with the Buccaneers. "This has been all I've focused on – this game. It'll just be one day at a time. Truly," said Brady, who will become an unrestricted free agent after this season after his deal with the Buccaneers expires.
With his contract containing a “no tag” clause, the Buccaneers cannot use the franchise tag on Brady, who would be free to sign with any team if he continues his playing career. According to reports, several teams will try to lure Brady into their fold, including the Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, San Francisco 49ers and even the New Orleans Saints. In case Brady decides to retire, the quarterback will now shift to his new role as football analyst with Fox Sports. During his brief retirement, Brady signed a 10-year deal worth $375 million to become Fox Sports’ main football analyst.
