Could retired tight end Rob Gronkowski return to the New England Patriots at some point this season? One former Patriots tight end seems to think so.
Jermaine Wiggins, who last played for New England all the way back in 2001, told TMZ Sports that Gronkowski is “going to be back this year.”
Article Continues Below“I would bet money — at this point in time, I'm, like, 97 percent sure he's going to come back,” said Wiggins.
Gronkowski announced his retirement at the beginning of the offseason following the Pats' sixth Super Bowl title. However, there have been many who questioned whether or not the 30-year-old is really done, and the fact that he was catching passes from Tom Brady earlier this offseason only added more fuel to the fire.
“He loves the limelight, and what better way to keep continue to build the Gronk brand by being out on the field?” added Wiggins.
As for whether or not Gronkowski, who battled a plethora of injuries throughout his NFL career and appeared to be a mere shell of himself last season, has anything left?
“He's still got plenty of gas left in the tank,” Wiggins said. “He'll be back. I'm telling you. Watch.”
If Gronkowski does ultimately decide to retake the field at some point in 2019, it wouldn't be a surprise to most, but it would certainly provide the Patriots with a big lift, as they have been scrambling to find a replacement since Gronk hung up his cleats.
New England signed Ben Watson in free agency, but Watson was then hit with a four-game PED suspension.
Now, the Pats are shuffling through young, unproven tight ends, looking for an answer.