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Rob Gronkowski will run it back with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But he nearly teamed up with Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.
Mike Silver of NFL Network reported the Bills offered Gronkowski a contract similar to the one-year, $10 million he signed with the Bucs. But “Gronk” passed on the offer to play for his hometown team to go for a repeat with Brady and Tampa Bay.
Before re-signing with the Bucs, Rob Gronkowski considered a similar offer from the Bills… his hometown team. I'd expect the Bills to add a tight end at some point.
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) March 16, 2021
The Buccaneers tight end would have been a major addition for the Bills.
Buffalo already had one of the top passing games in football in 2020. Allen excelled with the addition of Stefon Diggs, and Cole Beasley was tremendous in the slot.
The tight ends–Dawson Knox and Tyler Kroft–were not bad, but Gronkowski would have offered Allen another downfield weapon in the seams. He also would likely have been an improvement as a run-blocker, an area where the Bills desperately need to improve in 2021.
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However, it was always somewhat unlikely Buffalo could pry the former All-Pro away from the Buccaneers.
Firstly, Tampa Bay has done everything it can to keep the band together. The Bucs extended Tom Brady so as to create added cap flexibility, later re-signing veteran linebacker Lavonte David and edge rusher Shaquil Barrett.
Secondly, Brady is the only quarterback Gronkowski has ever known. Brady's move to the Bucs prompted “Gronk” to come out of retirement, and he later facilitated the trade that sent him from New England to Tampa Bay.
Still, the Bills tried their hardest to bring Gronkowski home.
