As Tom Brady’s one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers draws to a close, the question on everybody’s lips is whether the quarterback will renew, sign with a different team, or even possibly return to his former team, the New England Patriots. Brady’s friend and former teammate Rob Gronkowski, who followed him from the Patriots to the Buccaneers, has expressed his skepticism at a New England homecoming.
“I would 100 percent be surprised if he went back to New England, no doubt,” Gronk told brothers Jason and Travis Kelce. “It would be nuts, it would be a crazy story, but I just really don’t see that happening.”
However, he conceded, a return to the Pats does remain within the realm of possibility. After all, this is the guy who made headlines by famously “un-retiring” and signing a $15 million deal with the Bucs in 2022, a matter of mere weeks after announcing he was leaving the sport for good. “I’m not Tom, I’m just putting my analyzing skills out there,” Gronk said, “and I think that would be a tough shot for him, but it’s open.”
In December 2022, Gronk hinted that if Brady did want to rejoin his old team, they would be more than likely happy to have him, telling Fox News: “I mean, if Tom really wanted to, I’m sure that it would be all open arms to go back to New England. I would just have to say all parties would need to want it.”
Speculation surrounding the next stage in Brady’s career has been going on for some time, with pundits wondering whether or not he will retire again any time soon. Brady himself has been nebulous on any specific retirement plans, seeming to be at his happiest out on the field, but has said that when he does decide to quit football again, it will be for good. “I think next time I decide to retire, that’s it for me,” he said recently. “So whenever that day comes, we’ll figure it out.”
As for how much longevity Brady has in the game? “I believe he’ll have until at least 50 years old,” Gronk told Jimmy Kimmel in April 2022. “I mean, I see his work ethic day in and day out, and it’s second to none.”
Philip Ellis is a freelance writer and journalist from the United Kingdom covering pop culture, relationships and LGBTQ+ issues. His work has appeared in GQ, Teen Vogue, Man Repeller and MTV.
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