Much of the football world is still coming to grips with the reality of an NFL without Rob Gronkowski, as the Patriots tight end announced his retirement at 29 years old on Sunday.
Gronkowski's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, appeared on ESPN's "Get Up" on Monday morning to discuss his client's decision, one that came as a surprise to many despite longstanding rumors that he might call it quits. Rosenhaus talked about Gronk's future and outlined what his retirement path may look like and what opportunities may be waiting.
"A lot of fun. A lot of rest. Good times. Relaxation. Partying. Being himself. Being Gronk," Rosenhaus said. "Eventually we could see him doing TV, acting, a number of things. Appearances. Endorsements. He's one of the biggest personalities. He won't disappear."
Agent Drew Rosenhaus, on @GetUpESPN, was asked what Rob Gronkowski’s reaction was when he told him he could always come back. He also detailed what Gronk plans to do now: pic.twitter.com/bB9YLYjZDE
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) March 25, 2019
But Rosenhaus also had some rather interesting things to say about the possibility of Gronk returning to football down the road. While Rosenhaus said that Gronk told him that he's "done with football at this point and ready to move on with his life," the agent made it clear that he wouldn't be all that surprised if Gronk ended up changing his mind and returned to the Patriots at some point down the road -- if only briefly.
Drew Rosenhaus on @GetUpESPN on Rob Gronkowski’s future: “If the team was struggling or they needed him at some point next year, and let’s just say hypothetically Tom Brady gave him a call and said ‘Rob, I need you.’ I wouldn’t be shocked if he came back to play a few games.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 25, 2019
"If the team was struggling or they needed him at some point next year, and let's just say hypothetically Tom Brady gave him a call and said, 'Rob, I need you.' I wouldn't be shocked if he came back to play a few games," Rosenhaus told the show's hosts.
Former Patriots linebacker Willie McGinest had a similar take a few weeks ago, speculating that Gronk's retirement could be only temporary.
"I think Gronk is going to take a break for a while. I don't think he's going to initially start off and come back. This is just my own assessment. Later on, deep in the season, he could come back," McGinest said while discussing the tight end's future on NFL Network earlier this March. "He's going to let his body heal up and I think, mentally, he's not football right now. He's not ready to put on the pads and play football."
The Patriots don't appear to have an immediate replacement in line to replace Gronkowski at the tight end slot, having failed to sign free agent Jared Cook this offseason.
Considering we're only one day into Gronk's retirement and a return is already being raised as a possibility, it seems as though we're probably going to be constantly monitoring and analyzing the likelihood of a Gronkowski comeback during the upcoming season.
