Getty Rob Gronkowski could make more "Gronk Spikes" after touchdowns for the Buccaneers in 2022.
Tom Brady retiring from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers doesn’t mean longtime teammate Rob Gronkowski will follow suit.
Bucs general manager Jason Licht confirmed that on Tuesday, February 1, hours after Brady, 44, officially announced his retirement. Gronkowski, 32, played all of his past 11 seasons with Brady in New England and Tampa Bay.
“I don’t suspect that. I think that’s yet to be seen. I’m giving Rob the respect to give him some time to see how he feels here,” Licht told the media. “When you played in the league for 11 years, you need a little time to think things through to see if you want to go through with it for another year.”
“From my conversations with Rob, he just needs that,” Licht added. “I don’t think it’s going to be dependent on whether Tom came back or not from what I understand and I know that Rob had an incredible experience here as well. He was a big factor in us having the success that we had. We would welcome Rob back with open arms, but we’re giving him his space right now to decide on what he wants to do.”
Gronkowski, who dealt with rib and back injuries in 2021, caught 55 passes for 802 yards and six touchdowns. He came out of a one-year retirement to join the Bucs with Brady in 2020.
Licht’s comments echo what Gronkowski told the media following the season. Gronkowski said in a Jan. 24 press conference that he will decide in a few weeks. He took a more comical approach with TMZ Sports but later reiterated his original thoughts.
Gronkowski, who had a one-year contract with the Bucs for 2021, will need to sign a new deal if he returns.
Bucs in Reload, Not Rebuild Mode
Licht expressed confidence that the Bucs will reload for 2022 despite Brady moving on after an illustrious career. That’s also despite the 25 Bucs players with expiring contracts in need of re-signing.
“We feel like we have a really good foundation on our team. I think B.A. [Bruce Arians] has already said, ‘This isn’t a rebuild, this is a reload.’ I look at it a little bit as a remodel and agree with B.A.,” Licht said. “We’ve got seven of our nine Pro Bowlers under contract for next year. We’ve got a lot of really good young players on this team.”
Those seven Pro Bowlers include star receiver Mike Evans, defensive lineman Vita Vea, guard Ali Marpet, tackle Tristan Wirfs, and linebackers Shaquil Barrett and Devin White. Younger players such as rookie linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and second-year running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn stepped up at different times in 2021.
“We do not feel at all like we’re in a situation where we have to completely start from scratch with this roster whatsoever,” Licht said.
Uncertainty Looms in Free Agency
Tampa Bay has a boatload of key players, including Gronkowski, who could leave in free agency. That includes younger talent such as wide receiver Chris Godwin, 25, and running back Leonard Fournette, 27.
“We’re going to try to re-sign some of our players back and we’ll continue to explore players in free agency, as well,” Licht said. “We have the draft coming up. We’re here in Mobile right now [at the Senior Bowl], working on that.”
Tampa Bay’s biggest priority in free agency became the quarterback position upon Brady’s retirement. Getting a quality quarterback via free agency or a trade could help with other re-signings and keep the Bucs’ winning ways going in 2022.
“We have a lot of good players [and] a lot of teams wish they were in our position,” Licht said.