Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is coming out of retirement to join forces with his former quarterback Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Whereas Brady's (in hindsight) imminent departure last month was the subject of much tension and speculation, Gronkowski was both complimentary and straightforward in his view of what it was like to play for the Pats and head coach Bill Belichick.
Gronkowski said he learned “so much” from Belichick, who he also said is “hands down” the best coach in football.
Gronkowski, asked about how much of returning with Bucs is not playing for Belichick: "I've learned so much football from the best coach, hands down, in all of football, Coach Belichick."
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) April 22, 2020
Simultaneously, Gronkowski acknowledged it could be a grind to play in New England, where Belichick has set a high bar for team culture and instituted the “Do Your Job” mentality.
Asked Gronkowski about how much his retirement had to do with the hard-coaching style of Belichick. "Coach says all the time it's not an easy place to play" and "I'm not going to sit here and say it's an easy organization to play for." @nflnetwork
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) April 22, 2020
Gronkowski left the Patriots for retirement following Super Bowl 53, though there were pretty steady rumors about a potential return throughout the year.
Those rumors never came to fruition, however, as Gronkowski settled into a broadcasting role and, eventually, even tried his hand at professional wrestling in the WWE.
But Gronkowski — unbeknownst to the general public — had been staying in shape throughout his one-year retirement, and he expressed a desire to play with Brady once again. This time, though, it will be with a new team in the Buccaneers.
The pair had developed a unique rapport in New England, where Gronkowski was quickly turning into one of the greatest tight ends of all time prior to his retirement. Gronk was named First Team All-Pro in four separate seasons with the Patriots, and he was New England's most dependable pass-catcher come playoff time, as well.
Though the 30-year-old is out of retirement and on to the next chapter of his football career, Gronkowski showed reverence for the Pats organization and what he achieved under Belichick in New England.