Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton is having some fun on social media with a half-hearted attempt to get Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady out of retirement.

Payton tagged both Gronkowski and Brady in a Twitter post that said “Let the recruitment begin!” The tweet comes shortly after Payton was officially named the new Broncos' head coach and Brady announced his retirement.

Payton's tweet isn't to be taken seriously as a recruiting pitch to get the quarterback and tight end on the Broncos. Payton also tagged Fox's NFL account. The coach will be part of Fox's Super Bowl coverage on Sunday, along with Gronkowski. Brady is expected to begin a 10-year contract with Fox in 2024 to be part of the network's No. 1 NFL broadcast booth.

There's almost no chance that Brady could sign with the Broncos, even if the two sides actually wanted to make it happen. Denver is stuck with Russell Wilson for several more seasons because of his contract and the salary cap implications. Brady has officially filed his retirement papers with the NFL.

It's a little more plausible to think that Gronkowski could eventually return to the NFL, whether it's with the Broncos or another team. The tight end came out of retirement once to rejoin Brady with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Gronkowski is only 33 years old and remained a productive player when he last played in the 2021 season.

A Sean Payton-Tom Brady pairing was a realistic possibility not long ago. The Miami Dolphins tried to bring the coach and the legendary quarterback on board for the 2022 season. The deal fell apart when former Dolphins coach Brian Flores sued the Dolphins, Broncos and New York Giants, alleging discrimination in their head coach searches.

Payton takes over a Broncos team that went 5-12 in its first season with Wilson as the team's starting quarterback