Rob Gronkowski discusses NFL future on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'

Free agent TE Rob Gronkowski sat down with Jimmy Kimmel on Wednesday night to discuss his future in the NFL.

On Wednesday night, free agent TE Rob Gronkowski sat down with Jimmy Kimmel on his late night show to discuss a number of topics. Some topics were more fun, while others more serious. 

The full interview between Kimmel and Gronk can be seen below.

In earlier reports, Gronk himself has said that he is not necessarily ready to return and devote himself 100% to the game of football at this time. This seems to be the main reason why the star TE has yet to sign a contract with any NFL team. He expanded on his earlier statements during his interview with Kimmel, while also alluding to the allure Brady returning has.

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“Peanut butter and jelly. Bread and butter. We’ll keep going,” said Gronkowsk, 32, who remains a free agent. ”I don’t know, just because that duo, man. It’s just so hard to get that connection. Especially in the NFL world, it doesn’t last that long. To see somebody have that connection for nine-plus years, it’s definitely in the back of my mind."

“It’s not really like, you know, do I really want to be there? I love playing with the guys. That’s the best part. Being a part of a team. Do I want to do it every week in, week out? It’s a brutal game. For sure, I’m blocking guys that are sometimes 300 pounds in front of me, they’re coming full speed and smashing me. I’m catching a pass up the middle, and right when they catch me they’re smashing me from my legs all the way to my shoulders.”

It does not seem to be the love of the game that is the factor for Gronk in his return to the football, but instead the amount of punishment his body takes throughout an entire season. 

Gronkowski suffered multiple injuries in 2021 that derailed his season. He broke his ribs and punctured a lung in the process. Injury proneness definitely increases with age and at the level of play the NFL is, there is a greater chance of that occurring.

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However, with Brady back in the fold, it is hard to imagine an NFL world or Buccaneers' team that does not involve both of them playing alongside one another. Like Gronk says, it's peanut butter and jelly.

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

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