Rob Gronkowski will likely retire whenever Tom Brady decides to retire, according to Gronk's brother

The Buccaneers tight end is apparently going call it quits whenever Tom Brady decides to call it quits

Rob Gronkowski has already retired once, but don't look for him to retire again anytime soon. According to Gronk's brother, Chris, the Buccaneers tight end will likely keep playing as long as Tom Brady keeps playing, which means there's a good chance we'll be seeing both players on the field for at least the next two years. 

Gronk has never come out and said that he's going to retire when Brady retires, but his brother has a pretty good feeling that's how things are going to play out.  

"Whatever Tom has left, I think that's what Rob has left as well," Chris said recently during an interview with TMZ. "I just can't see him playing with another quarterback. It's tough to get that chemistry. It's tough to win once you lose that QB."

The idea of Gronk playing with another quarterback does seem a little weird, especially since he's played his ENTIRE career with Brady. After being drafted by the Patriots in 2010, Gronk spent the next nine seasons catching passes from Brady in New England. The Patriots went to the Super Bowl in five of those nine seasons and came away with three Lombardi Trophies, which means Gronk earned three rings for his time in New England. 

Despite the success, Gronk abruptly decided to retire in March 2019. However, the tight end changed his mind after Brady left New England. After watching his friend sign with the Buccaneers in March 2020, Gronk decided he wanted to come out of retirement to join Brady in Florida, which is exactly what he did in April 2020. 

Despite being in a new location, the two have continued their prolific ways. In 2020, both Brady and Gronk helped propel the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl win. In 2021, Gronk opened the season with a huge game against the Cowboys on Thursday night, catching eight passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns in Tampa Bay's 31-29 win. Brady and Gronk have now connected for 100 total touchdowns, which is the second-most in NFL history, behind only Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison, who connected for 114. 

With Gronk now starting his 11th season with Brady, Chris just doesn't see think it's possible that his brother would want to play with any other quarterback. 

"I think Rob will play it out until Tom plays it out is what I'm thinking," Chris said.

If Gronk is going to retire when Brady retires, that obviously brings up a key question: When will Brady retire?

The 44-year-old has been saying for years that he plans on playing in the NFL until he's 45 years old, but now that he's almost reached that goal, it seems that his plans have changed. Brady now seems to be indicating that age will no longer be a factor in his retirement decision and that he's going to keep playing as long as he thinks he's good enough to help his team win a Super Bowl. 

"I'll know when the time's right," Brady said of retirement in mid-August. "If I can't... if I'm not a championship-level quarterback, then I'm not gonna play. If I'm a liability to the team, I mean, no way. But if I think I can win a championship, then I'll play."

The quarterback is under contract through the 2022 season, so it's pretty much a guarantee that he'll be playing until at least that point. The 32-year-old Gronk will be 33 heading into the 2022 season and if Brady decides to call it quits then, it won't be a shock to see Gronk also announce his retirement. 

The one twist here could come if Brady tries to break George Blanda's record as the oldest person to ever play in the NFL. Blanda was 48 years old when he played in his final game in December 1975, which means Brady would have to play until at least November 2025 to break that record. If that happens, the Buccaneers would get FOUR MORE SEASONS of Brady and Gronk after 2021. Plus, it means Gronk won't be retiring until he's 36.