Getty Rob Gronkowski reacts after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.
Rob Gronkowski nearly ended his retirement to join the Buffalo Bills.
The future Hall of Famer and longtime rival retired from football for the second time in June 2022, but revealed this week that he considered coming back for one more season to play with his hometown team.
The tight end said Tom Brady’s retirement prompted him to think about his own future and he even had some discussions with the Bills, but ultimately decided to stay retired.
“When Tom (Brady) retired (briefly last offseason), I just always loved to play with Tom, our chemistry and everything. My options were on the table then at that moment for about three weeks throughout the free agency period,” Gronkowski said during an interview with Fox Sports during Super Bowl media week, via the Buffalo News. “I just talked to (the Bills) a little bit. I saw what my options were. I knew I probably wasn’t going to play football again, but I just wanted to see the options. I didn’t want to shut the door or anything. If Tom stayed retired and I was willing to play another year of football and to go all in, I think the Buffalo Bills would have been the team for sure.”
While he never ended up playing for the Bills, Gronkowski did say he has a newfound relationship with the team he once tormented as a player.
Gronkowski Still a Bills Fan
Gronkowski admitted that it would have been intriguing for him to suit up for the Bills, and his connection to the city still runs deep. Though he was a rival throughout his career with the New England Patriots, Gronkowski said he still feels like a Bills fan at heart and loves watching Josh Allen play.
Gronk opens up about how his childhood dream was to play for the @BuffaloBills…
… and says he has 5 more years to possibly come out of retirement.
📺: @FanDuelTV | @heykayadams | @RobGronkowski
“I’m from Buffalo, so when you’re from Buffalo, Buffalo is always going to hold a piece of your heart for your whole, entire life,” Gronkowski said. “Whenever you run into somebody, even if they haven’t been to Buffalo in 20 years, if they grew up there, you’re a Bills fan deep down — except I wasn’t when I was with the Patriots. That’s the only way to demolish that, but it came back now that I’m retired. Just what he has done for the whole community of Buffalo is unbelievable. Just the skillset that he brought to the table is great.”
Gronk’s Return to Buffalo
Even though he never ended up playing for the Bills, Gronkowski has strengthened his ties to the city in other ways. Not long after announcing his retirement in June 2022, he returned to the city to take part in a fundraiser organized by his family’s business.
Rob Gronkowski and his brothers open NextGen fitness center in Fountain Plaza
Gronkowski teamed up with his brothers to host a workout in the city’s Fountain Plaza in June, days after his retirement announcement. As the Buffalo News reported, the event was organized by NextGen Fitness Buffalo, a gym owned by the Gronkowski brothers.
“This one is special because it hasn’t gone on in two or three years now,” Gronkowski said at the time. “Everyone is pumped up for it. My high school buddies, they’re are all pumped up.”
“It’s a great foundation, and also at the same time, it’s a great party, and (I) get to see all my friends and family from Buffalo,” he added.