Three veterans trending towards returning to Tampa Bay in 2022

The Buccaneers would like to have these guys back in 2022.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in an interesting situation at the beginning of the 2022 offseason. The franchise has been hit hard by the unexpected retirements of star quarterback Tom Brady and offensive guard Ali Marpet. There are two ways this team can go from here, retool and continue trying to compete or go into rebuilding mode.

Knowing head coach Bruce Arians, the Buccaneers aren't going to just throw the towel in next year. While speaking at the NFL Combine earlier this week, Arians noted that Tampa Bay is hoping to have three veterans return to the roster. He said that outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh have informed him that they still want to play and won't be retiring.

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Tight end Rob Gronkowski, who some have pegged as a retirement candidate after Brady's decision, has been working out at the team facility twice a week according to Arians. That doesn't sound like someone who is set on stepping away from football.

Arians says JPP and Suh have both told him they want to play football again this year.

He doesn’t know about Gronk, but the TE has been working out at Bucs facility 2x a week

— PewterReport 🏴‍☠️ (@PewterReport) March 1, 2022

All three players had their contracts expire at the end of the 2021 season. Though it's safe to say that JPP and Suh will be very interested in re-signing with the Buccaneers. Both defensive veterans have been in Tampa Bay since 2019. Suh has been a key cog on the defense, playing in all 49 regular-season games and six playoffs since he joined the franchise. He totaled 27 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and six sacks last season. 

JPP was labored by a torn rotator cuff throughout the season but elected to play through the injury. He recorded 31 tackles, three tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and four pass deflections. His presence on the field is valuable and he brings even more leadership off of the field.

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Tampa Bay only has two tight ends under contract at the moment for next year, Cameron Brate and Codey McElroy. That makes retaining Gronkowski a priority for the team as long as he continues to go forward with his career. Despite missing four games and the majority of another with rib and back injuries, Tom Brady's favorite target was even more productive in 2021. Gronkowski caught 55 passes for 802 yards and six touchdowns. 

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