Getty The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could use Rob Gronkowski.
Retired tight end Rob Gronkowski said he would take a call from quarterback Tom Brady but not for a Tampa Bay Buccaneers reunion.
Gronkowski shifted gears recently and called Brady instead for a Bucs video. It kicked off a new Bucs show with Brady, “Armchair QB” in place of Gronkowski and Brady’s previous show, “Tommy and Gronky” that ran the past two seasons. The episodes were filled with banter between the longtime teammates.
Such banter continued when Brady, who responded to fan questions on the “Armchair QB”, actded surprised when Gronkowski calls. Gronkowski retired from the Bucs on June 21 after 11 seasons in the NFL, and he said even Brady couldn’t talk him into coming back if the superstar quarterback called. Brady notably coaxed Gronkowski out of retirement before the 2020 season to join the Bucs.
Welcome to Tommy’s new show, Armchair QB.
Need life advice? @TomBrady’s got you covered. First up… @RobGronkowski asks the hard hitting questions.
Full episode ➡️ t.co/mboBZOcK9p
Watch the full first episode of “Armchair QB” here.
Brady: ‘That’s My Challenge to You, Gronk’
“Ever since I stopped playing the foosball game, I don’t get a chance to hang out with the guys in the locker room, and now I’m having to resort to sending in these video questions to see if Tommy will answer me,” Gronkowski said.
“I was thinking about getting a tattoo to remember all our great times over the years, so my questions for Tom is, ‘what should I get and where should I put it,'” Gronkowski asks. “If he’ll even answer me. Any suggestions?”
Brady and Gronkowski played 11 seasons together between the Bucs and New England Patriots, winning four Super Bowls together. Once accustomed to giving Gronkowski directions on the field, Brady took a shot at giving Gronkowski off-field direction after listening to the call and a big hint at inviting him back to Tampa Bay.
Tom Brady to Gronk for another playoff touchdown never gets old!!! #GoBucs
“Great question Gronky. You want a tattoo? You know what I think you need Gronk? You know what you need? You need a Rising Phoenix right across your back a la Boston’s own Ben Affleck,” Brady said. “The Rising Phoenix is about overcoming adversity, rising through the ashes and reclaiming your glory. All of which I hope you really want to do at some point.”
“I’m not sure if you do, but if there’s one thing that would inspire you. Don’t think about your teammates. Don’t think about this amazing facility, the free food you’d get, the free swag and gear that we get,” Brady added. “Think about returning to glory and what that Rising Phoenix could do for you on your big back. That’s my challenge to you, Gronk.”
“If that’s what you’re looking for, I gave you a great piece of advice,” Brady concluded.
Brady Gets Honest on Gronkowski’s Retirement
Fun aside, Brady spoke candidly about Gronkowski’s retirement during the “Let’s Go!” podcast earlier this week. Brady hasn’t played a full season with Gronkowski since 2009.
“You’re missing someone that was one of the all-time greats, which is, you know, you can’t replace that,” Brady told host Jim Gray. “And we all love him, but we miss him and he just decides not to play. So he’s retired, so we’ve had to, you know, move on to try to, you know, solve some things without him.”