Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski shocked the entire league with his decision to come out of retirement and reunite with his former teammate Tom Brady.
Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians didn't even think it was a possibility that Gronkowski wanted to come out of retirement. In a recent appearance on ESPN's NFL Live, Arians revealed what Brady's role was in the trade for Gronkowski.
“It was really Tom … Tom brought it up to me, and I didn't even think it was a possibility that he wanted to come back. And he was adamant about, yeah, he really wants to play; he'd love to play with us. So [general manager] Jason Licht got the ball rolling with the Patriots, the conversation was there, and he's working out, he's in great shape and he's raring to go. So we're really looking forward to getting on the practice field.”
Gronkowski retired from the NFL following the 2018 season; however, he regained interest on a return after Brady signed with the Buccaneers. The Patriots ended up trading Gronkowski to the Buccaneers in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Gronkowski, who will be turning 31 years old in June, has one year and $9 million remaining on his contract.
Nevertheless, the Buccaneers have emerged as one of the top offenses in the league. With the league's best receiver tandem on the outside with Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, they'll certainly be seeking to snap their 12-year playoff drought with two iconic players of their generation.
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