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Rob Gronkowski Responds to Rumors That He's Planning NFL Comeback With Broncos

The idea surfaced from a Denver radio personality on Tuesday.

Dan Lyons

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) following the win over the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field.
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) following the win over the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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Rob Gronkowski hasn't played in the NFL since the 2021 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and is well entrenched in his media career with Fox. The future Hall of Fame tight end is only 35, though, so he's still the subject of comeback rumors.

The latest broke this week, as the league gathers in Indianapolis for the NFL scouting combine.

According to a report by Cecil Lammey on Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan, Gronkowski had been working out in Vail, Colo. to prepare for a comeback with the Denver Broncos, the team with which his brothers Chris and Dan briefly played. The report was quickly shot down by NFL media's Ian Rapoport, and now Gronk himself has thrown cold water on the idea.

“Crazy bro. They must know something about me that I don’t," Gronkowski told Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz. "I wish I still had those powers, because that would be cool if I did. But I was just in Australia for a few days. Now it’s time to relax a little. No football.”

Gronkowski was one of the greatest tight ends in league history, an elite blocker and pass catcher who developed into Tom Brady's top target with the New England Patriots before coming out of his first retirement to join Brady with the Buccaneers. He earned four first-team All-Pro selections and was named to five Pro Bowls.

He was a key cog in the Patriots' three most recent Super Bowl wins, and took home Super Bowl LV with the Buccaneers.

If Gronkowski wanted to make an NFL comeback, he might still be able to contribute to a team, but he sounds pretty definitive in that his playing days are behind him.

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Dan Lyons
DAN LYONS

Dan Lyons is a staff writer and editor on Sports Illustrated's Breaking and Trending News team. He joined SI for his second stint in November 2024 after a stint as a senior college football writer at Athlon Sports, and a previous run with SI spanning multiple years as a writer and editor. Outside of sports, you can find Dan at an indie concert venue or movie theater.

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