Getty Former New England Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski.
When Josh McDaniels took over as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, he was looking to recreate the success he had with the New England Patriots. He wanted to bring in quarterback Tom Brady but that didn’t work out.
There was also another former Patriots legend who he tried to get to Las Vegas. Five-time Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski has now admitted that the Raiders tried to get him to come out of retirement last offseason, but he turned them down.
“I just wasn’t interested. I mean they’re great teams. It would have been a great situation, but I just wasn’t ready to go,” Gronkowski said on the December 8 episode of Pardon My Take.
Gronkowski played under McDaniels for seven seasons while they were with the Patriots. The tight end retired after the 2021 season, which was his second retirement. It doesn’t appear that he has plans for a third retirement. Gronkowski dealt with a lot of injuries in his career and only played a full 16-game season three times in 11 years.
Players don’t typically become less injury-prone as they get older so it makes sense why Gronkowski isn’t keen on returning. Considering the Raiders fired McDaniels and are 5-7 right now, the future Hall of Famer has no reason to regret his decision.
Las Vegas Raiders Have ‘Baby Gronk’
With the Raiders unable to convince Rob Gronkowski to come out of retirement, they turned their sites toward the draft where they drafted Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer, who has been called “Baby Gronk” in the past due to his similarities to the former Patriot. At 6-foot-4, Mayer is slightly shorter than the 6-foot-6 Gronkowski.
However, they do share a unique ability to get open and make tough catches. Mayer had a slow start to the season but he’s been playing much better in recent weeks. If the Raiders were able to find a younger version of Gronkowski, they would be very happy. Mayer still has a lot to prove but he’s showing very promising signs.
Antonio Pierce Compares Michael Mayer to Other Star TE
Though Michael Mayer has garnered comparisons to Rob Gronkowski, interim head coach Antonio Pierce compared him to a different star tight end. When Pierce was with the New York Giants, he got an up-close look at Jeremy Shockey and that’s who he compares Mayer to.
“I played with a tight end who I like to say was pretty good, especially in his prime – was Jeremy Shockey,” Pierce said during his December 6 media availability. “I’m not going to call him [Mayer] ‘Nature Boy’ – that’s what I called Shockey – but he has that to him where when he gets the ball in his hands, he’s punishing defenders. And that’s what you like to see, and that’s the style of play that we want to have going forward.”
Shockey was a four-time Pro Bowler and won two Super Bowls during his career. He was one of the best tight ends of the 2000s. That’s a lofty comparison for Pierce to make, especially considering he played with him. Mayer’s got some big shoes to fill after getting compared to some of the best tight ends in NFL history.