It is definitely the tale of two seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
2021 was filled with great play on the road until the Bucs won the Super Bowl at home.
Then, we were treated to the boat parade and the casual tossing of the Lombardi.
ONE MORE PASS: Tom Brady successfully throws the Lombardi trophy from one boat to another during the Bucs’ Super Bowl championship parade in Tampa. https://t.co/0EHqJvmD6V pic.twitter.com/G4DxTIa07F
— ABC News (@ABC) February 11, 2021
Fast forward nearly a year later, and the mood is much more somber.
Tom Brady is certainly contemplating retirement judging by his comments in the past week, and now we have Rob Gronkowski talking about retiring again.
Check out my TikTok talking about all things Gronk.
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What Gronkowski Said This Week
Will this be Rob Gronkowski's last season? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/fWuSZr7KZL
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 26, 2022
Gronkowski was asked by TMZ Sports if he was planning to retire.
His answer, like everything about him, was interesting.
“If they’re like, ‘Rob, you’ve got to decide right now, right this second if you’re playing next year,’ I would say no right now I would be like, ‘No, I’m not playing.’ . . . If I had an answer right now, it would be no.”
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 🏴☠️
Year 12??? 👀
— Rob Gronkowski (@RobGronkowski) January 25, 2022
He Needs More Time To Decide
Gronkowski went on to talk about needing a few weeks away from the game to heal his body and think about his future plans.
He also said that in other years if asked about retirement a few days after the season, his answer would probably have been the same as it is this year.
This is more a factor of when he was asked the question than anything.
He also said that Brady’s decision will not impact his.
If Gronk Retires During The Offseason
Legions of fans will be sad because he is exciting and fun to watch.
However, he has nothing left to prove or accomplish because he has done it all.
He won four Super Bowls with two teams and in different conferences.
Gronkowski has a lot of individual honors behind his name also.
Those include Pro Bowls, First-Team All-Pro selections, and records that show he excelled at his position both in the regular season and in the playoffs.
He holds the records for most career postseason touchdowns by a tight end at 15 and the most 100 yard games by a tight end with 32.
If Gronk Comes Back In 2022
He will come back if he feels physically and mentally well and believes there is more football in the tank.
Gronkowski will turn 33 in May and has dealt with injuries throughout his career.
In 2021, he missed time because of cracked ribs and a punctured lung.
Rob Gronkowski on how it felt the day after he cracked ribs Week 3 at the Rams. “I’ve never been shot but that’s how it felt like,” he said. pic.twitter.com/7uFZxj77pq
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) November 19, 2021
He gave a typical Gronk answer with a grin on his face when asked about the pain of the ribs and lung injuries.
Gronkowski equated the pain to being shot though he never has been before.
He Truly Is One Of A Kind
He is a legend on and off the field.
His decision to use the Lombardi Trophy to bunt a baseball put a permanent dent in the Patriots 2019 Lombardi.
Gronk dented the Lombardi Trophy with a bunt and this is now the greatest story ever 😂 pic.twitter.com/YXieuEQh28
— Baseball Bros (@BaseballBros) April 17, 2019
He is as unique as the dented Lombardi.
Please stay Gronk 🥺❤ pic.twitter.com/dAIu5HXMVT
— 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐡 (@TampaJ21) January 25, 2022
There will never be another like him so hopefully, he feels he can continue to play because he is a fan favorite.
NEXT: Rob Gronkowski Provides An Update On His NFL Future