Rob Gronkowski has made it abundantly clear that he intends to stay retired. So much so, that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have already made the necessary moves to prepare for life without the four-time All-Pro tight end in the lineup.

Be that as it may, Bucs general manager Jason Licht still chooses to keep the door open for Gronk's possible return, improbable as it may seem (via Mike Florio of NBC Sports):

“I don’t want to deal with hypotheticals,” Licht said Thursday. “We all know that Gronk is a heck of a player — it would be hard to turn down.”

I see no lies here. I mean, why would the Bucs reject Rob Gronkowski if he happens to make a U-turn and decide to come out of retirement? It wouldn't be the first time for him.

The idea of Gronk returning might be improbable, but at the end of the day, it isn't impossible. After all, this is exactly what Tom Brady did a few months ago. Perhaps the GOAT might give his buddy a bit of a nudge and somehow convince him to run it back one last time. Again, it wouldn't be the first time.

For their part, however, the Buccaneers know better than to pin their hopes on something that is so uncertain. As such, they've already signed not one, but two potential replacements for Gronk. The arrivals of Kyle Rudolph and Julio Jones are clear indications that Tampa Bay is now ready to move on from Gronkowski.