Tom Brady. Retirement. Haven’t we been here before?
On Tuesday, Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement, prompting Brady to issue an amusing response to an ESPN report suggesting that Gronk could possibly return to the field if Brady reached out to him.
The future Hall of Fame quarterback tweeted a popular meme of former congressional candidate Martin Baker making a phone call, with no caption.
While Brady, who himself briefly retired this offseason before changing his mind, may have had some fun on Twitter, he was more sincere in an Instagram post.
“Teammate, friend, brother, just a few of the words that come to mind when I think of @gronk,” he wrote. “Nobody has ever embodied the idea of ‘leaving it all out on the field’ like Rob has throughout his entire career. Every single snap, I knew that no matter how many people you put in front of him, he was going to get to his spot.
“Even more important is the person he was off the field. Focused when he had to be, and FUN the rest of the time. Having Gronk in your locker room was every NFL players dream. I’m proud of all that we’ve accomplished together, and even more excited for all you have ahead of you. Congrats Gronk, you deserve it.”
Gronkowski originally retired following his 2018 season with the New England Patriots. He came out of retirement and teamed up with Brady again on the Buccaneers the last two seasons, winning a Super Bowl in 2020.
Before signing with the Buccaneers, Gronkowski played nine seasons with the Patriots, won three Super Bowls there with Brady, and made five Pro Bowls.
“I will now be going back into my retirement home, walking away from football again with my head held high knowing I gave it everything I had, good or bad, every time I stepped out on the field,” Gronkowski wrote on Instagram.
“The friendships and relationships I have made will last forever, and I appreciate every single one of my teammates and coaches for giving everything they had as well. From retirement, back to football and winning another championship and now back to chilling out, thank you to all.”