Report: Rob Gronkowski might not make up his mind until later this summer

The Buccaneers likely won't have a decision from their star tight end for at least another month.

There are only a few dominos waiting to fall for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers until its roster is complete for the 2022 season. The biggest one remaining on the board is the team's unsigned star tight end, Rob Gronkowski.

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Since the Buccaneers lost in the playoffs to the eventual super bowl champions, Gronkowski has been contemplating his future. Not just in Tampa Bay, but in the sport as a whole.

Ever since his longtime teammate and friend, Tom Brady, unretired after less than two months, the sentiment has been that Gronkowski would return to the Buccaneers for another year. The signs have continued to point that way off of the field, as Gronk has been spotted working out, namely with Tennessee Titans running back, Derrick Henry. But publicly, he's stressed that his mind isn't made up one way or the other.

While providing updates on the top free agents in the league, CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones dove into Gronkowski's situation.

"It's up to Gronk, if he decides that he's done enough, he's gonna hang them up, he's done," Jones said. "If he wants to go one more year with Tommy down in Tampa, it's going to be that he signs with the Buccaneers after Mandatory Mini-Camp. Again, he said recently it'd only take two or three weeks to get my body back in shape. I was surprised because I'd known how much weight and muscle he had lost from his first retirement to how, almost, game-ready his body looked when he returned to the Buccaneers. So, I believe him when he says it's only going to take a couple of weeks to get back and get ready."

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"It is, and I think the Buccaneers anticipate this, it's either retirement or it's running it back for one more year with Tom Brady and the Buccaneers," Jones continued. "Hard for me to say without knowing Gronk all that well, but just from an outside looking in, it would make sense. You look at this Bucs team and you say let's give it one more run."

As Jones stated, Gronkowski professed last week that he believed it wouldn't take him long to get into football shape depending on what way he decides to go. Tampa Bay is scheduled to hold its Mandatory Minicamp beginning on June 7. It would make the most sense that the team activity would be the earliest Gronkowski will return to the Buccaneers because that's likely the first time we'll see Tom Brady since his retirement as well.

Regardless, it doesn't matter much whether the veteran signs a new deal in June or August, Tampa Bay just wants him back into the fold. There is a clear need at tight end on the offensive side of the ball. Though the franchise addressed it slightly with Cade Otton and Ko Kieft in the draft, Gronkowski would provide a much more stable option for Brady in the immediate future.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the offseason.

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