When Rob Gronkowski made the decision to end his retirement in April to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it was speculated that he and Tom Brady had a plan to play together in Tampa Bay or wherever Brady decided to sign as a free agent.
However, when asked in an interview with CBS Sports Radio’s “Tiki and Tierney” if he and Brady made that plan, Gronkowski said, “No, no, that was never the case.”
“We have never talked about that before,” added Gronkowski. “It just happened. [With] my retirement and him getting into free agency, they just lined up like this. “
Gronkowski, who played with Brady for nine seasons in New England, said that Brady who was already in Tampa made it easier because he wouldn’t have to work with a new quarterback.
“I don’t like spilling all the beans, but when Tom came down to Tampa, it seemed like a great situation, a great opportunity,” said Gronkowski. “I wasn’t going to come back from retirement just to get out of retirement … Definitely one of [the factors] Tom was going to Tampa. That was a great connection.
“Gaining chemistry with a quarterback is not an easy task. It is time for you to put. That’s a lot of work to put it on. “
It has been said in the past that Brady is the only quarterback Gronkowski would play with. When there was an exchange on the table to send Gronkowski from the Patriots to the Lions in 2018, Gronkowski turned him down by threatening to withdraw.
“Yes, it happened, and Brady is my quarterback,” Gronkowski said in September 2018 about why he didn’t want to go to Detroit. “That’s it. I wouldn’t go anywhere without Brady.
“Yes, it happened, and Brady is my quarterback. That’s it. I wouldn’t go anywhere without Brady.
Gronk admits he threatened to withdraw when the Patriots considered trading him for the Lions. pic.twitter.com/t2gCGVjy1P
– NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 24, 2018
It is no secret that Brady’s connection to Gronkowski was dominant. Brady threw 78 touchdown passes to Gronkowski during their nine seasons together in New England, which is double any other touchdown pass Brady has thrown to any other catcher in his career (Randy Moss, 39). Brady’s 78 touchdowns to Gronkowski are the fifth best quarterback to catcher combo in NFL history.
Gronkowski also made four All-Pros for the first team and of course won three Super Bowls with Brady.
He said he “had that juice going again” when he spoke to Brady about going back to soccer.
“When Tom and I talked a little bit and just thought about the situation and how we can do it and everything, everything went well,” said Gronkowski. “Everything went as planned and the situations were aligned. I thought it was a great opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. It’s just going to be fun. It will be great “.
Gronkowski also had another reason to join his former teammate in Tampa. After nine seasons in New England, he wants to see what it’s like elsewhere.
“As a player, you always want to see what it’s like somewhere else,” said Gronkowski. “[I] I definitely thought about that before playing nine years in the NFL and I also thought about that when I came out of retirement. This is an opportunity to go see what it’s like elsewhere, to see what it’s like in the NFL on another team. There are so many players who bounce off so many different teams. “
