Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians was the latest NFL player or coach to shock the football world, when he announced his retirement from coaching late Wednesday night. That prompted reactions from all over, including his former tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Gronkowski posted to Twitter a kind message for his former coach.

“Thanks for the last 2 great years Coach, hopefully they let you keep riding around in your cart always keeping it real (pirate flag emoji) @BruceArians.”

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Gronkowski himself is mulling retiring. The Buccaneers legendary tight end was previously pulled out of retirement himself when Tom Brady first joined Tampa Bay heading into the 2020 season. Brady and Gronkowski obviously have an unreal connection on the field and have won multiple Super Bowls together.

One has to figure that Brady, who also just came out of retirement, is trying to convince Gronkowski to give it one more run in Tampa Bay.

Meanwhile, Arians' announcement has led to discussion as to whether he left on his own accord. Many are speculating that he was forced out by Brady. The supposed rift between Arians and Brady had been well publicized. But both Arians and Brady have put a squash on those rumors, referencing their great relationship.

Arians is taking on a role in the front office with the Buccaneers. He handed the head coaching keys to friend Todd Bowles. This move likely allows Brady and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich to run the offense undisturbed. Bowles would logically run the Buccaneers defense. Unlike most black coaches in the NFL who inherit a bad situation, Bowles has been put in a position to succeed in Tampa Bay.