Despite only suiting up for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two seasons at the tail end of his career, Rob Gronkowski has a strong claim to be considered the greatest tight end in franchise history.

In just 28 regular season games, Gronkowski accounted for 100 receptions, almost 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns in red and pewter. Just like during his time in New England, Gronk’s contributions extended far beyond just the boxscore, though. His tenacity as a blocker and his general presence on the field opened up many opportunities for his teammates to succeed.

And succeed they did.

When the Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 in Super Bowl 55, Gronk was integral. In fact, it was Gronkowski who got the party started for the Bucs — as he does — by scoring the team’s first TD of the Super Bowl at the end of the first quarter. And just seven minutes later, it was Gronk who took a Tom Brady pass 18 yards to the house to give the Bucs a commanding 14-3 lead.

The Bucs never looked back after that, and Gronk deserves a ton of credit for the Buccaneers securing their second-ever Lombardi Trophy in front of many of their own fans at Raymond James Stadium.

 

Feb 7, 2021; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) and tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) celebrate after beating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

So when a reporter claimed on Tuesday that Gronkowski was mulling a possible return to the NFL, it’s easy to see why fans in Tampa Bay, and football fans in general, got excited. However, on Wednesday, Gronk cleared the air regarding the erroneous report.

According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Gronk denies having any intentions about coming out of retirement to resume his playing career.

“Crazy bro. They must know something about me that I don’t. I wish I still had those powers, because that would be cool if I did. But I was just in Australia for a few days. Now it’s time to relax a little. No foortball.”

Although Gronk did come out of retirement once back in 2020 when he first joined the Bucs, it appears as though he is more than content in his decision to retire this time around. Ultimately, that means the fans in Tampa Bay can rest easy knowing that even though Gronk won’t be re-joining the Buccaneers to make another Super Bowl run, he won’t be joining any other NFL team, either.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2024 season.