When Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement last March at only 29-years-old, everyone was shocked. His young age combined with the Patriots offensive struggles this season has made rumors about his return run rampant. According to Complex, ESPN's Michele Steele decided to ask Gronk if his close friend Tom Brady could convince him to come back on Fox NFL Sunday, this morning.
"First off, I'm saying I love the guy," Gronk replied. "No, I'm not going back."
While his words here are clearly definitive, he's left the opportunity more open-ended in the past. During an interview last week with ESPN.com, Gronk admitted it's possible that one day, he could return, just not yet: "I wouldn't say 'never coming back.' I'm 30 years old. I'm young. I still stay fit, still watch the game whenever I can, still enjoy it. I'm feeling good, but you know, one year off could possibly be the case. Or maybe two years off, man. It's always an option in the back of my head. It's not like I'm not staying in shape and not doing anything. I'm never stressed over it."
The Patriots next game is today at 4:25 pm against the Dallas Cowboys. While they did win last week 17-10 against the Eagles, they'll be looking to put together a better offensive performance his time out.
