Report: Tampa Bay Buccaneers knew Rob Gronkowski was retiring

The Buccaneers weren't as shocked as everyone else on Tuesday.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been at the forefront of two of the most shocking retirements of the offseason. First, Tom Brady stepped away from the game before making a comeback after less than two months. On Tuesday afternoon, it was announced that Brady's longtime teammate and friend, Rob Gronkowski, is retiring from football for the second time in his career.

READ MORE: Rob Gronkowski is Retiring

While fans and players across the league are still wrapping their heads around the news, it appears that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had an idea this was coming. According to the Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud, the franchise was informed last week that Gronkowski would be hanging up his cleats instead of playing for the Buccaneers in 2022.

#Bucs were informed last week of Rob Gronkowski’s decision to retire, one week after the mandatory minicamp. Rookie TEs Cade Otton and Ko Kieft become huge additions as well as Cam Brate, Codey McElroy and I drafted TE JJ Howland.

— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) June 21, 2022

Though Tampa Bay is probably thankful for the heads up, the tight end room took a huge hit with the loss of Gronkowski. Outside of veteran Cameron Brate, there are currently no players under contract who have played significant snaps at the NFL level. Two recent draft picks, Cade Otton and Ko Kieft, will likely be looked to take on larger roles earlier in their respective careers than originally thought. Otton, in particular, could develop into a threat in the passing game as a reliable option for Tom Brady.

It wouldn't be surprising for the Buccaneers to scour the free-agent market. There are still some experienced options available such as Jimmy Graham, Kyle Rudolph, and Eric Ebron. With only a few weeks until training camp kicks off, it will be interesting to watch how Tampa Bay navigates this scenario. The franchise has added depth across the offense, upgrading the wide receiver, running back, and offensive line rooms. It makes a lot of sense to bring in another tight end as well to shore things up.

READ MORE: Tom Brady and Russell Gage Form One NFL's Best New Duos

If not, maybe Gronkowski will be interested in a mid-season return. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, wouldn't be shocked if the future hall of fame couldn't ignore a call from Brady. 

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