The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are not keeping their hopes up for a potential Rob Gronkowski return.
There was a glimmer of hope for that possibility when his girlfriend, Camille Kostek, said that she doesn’t believe that Gronkowski is done for good.
If he was able to come back from retirement once, there’s no stopping him from doing it again, especially because he showed no signs of slowing down last season.
But his return isn’t guaranteed and the Buccaneers must move on.
Hence, they signed veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph to a one-year contract.
He played ten seasons for the Minnesota Vikings before suiting up for the New York Giants in 2021.
Yet even though he will be teammates with Tom Brady, the 44-year-old quarterback made some fun at his expense.
Kyle Rudolph chose to play in Tampa despite the fact that former Michigan QB Tom Brady told his new tight end that he can’t be his first read because he went to Notre Dame.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 21, 2022
ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter tweeted, “Kyle Rudolph chose to play in Tampa despite the fact that former Michigan QB Tom Brady told his new tight end that he can’t be his first read because he went to Notre Dame.”
Though it’s been over two decades since Brady played his final college football game for the Wolverines, his school pride is still high.
Of course, Brady is just having a light moment because he’s smart enough to throw Rudolph the ball, especially if he is wide open.
Buccaneers Will Have A Duo Of Serviceable Tight Ends
The 2022 season will be different because Tampa Bay won’t have a highly imposing tight end in Gronkowski.
Instead, they will have two players who will likely compensate for his production.
Aside from Rudolph who is a two-time Pro Bowler, Tampa Bay is also banking on Cameron Brate to have a solid campaign.
Last season, Brate and Rudolph combined for 502 yards and five touchdowns.
They will need more than that to collect more victories.
NEXT: The Buccaneers Have Found A New Veteran TE For Tom Brady