“I think it will take one text from Tommy” - NFL analyst believes Tom Brady will convince Rob Gronkowski to return for 2022 NFL season 

Rob Gronkowski looks as if he may be following in the footsteps of his longtime quarterback and self-proclaimed best friend, Tom Brady.

When speaking recently to TMZ, the future Hall of Fame tight end stated that he was not quite ready to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"I knew if I started catching some passes that my head would have started turning, like, 'Oh, crap, I've got to get back out on the field. And, right now, I'm not ready to get back out on that field. I'm not ready to commit to the game of football right now."

NFL analyst Kyle Brandt spoke on Good Morning Football about his thoughts that it would only take a text from Tom Brady to get Gronkowski back on the football field.

“I do not think he's retired. I think it will take one call, one FaceTime, one text from Tommy. And maybe it will be in the middle of the season. Maybe it'll be towards the end of the season right before he can. I do not think we've seen Gronk play his last football game. I love Gronk. I don't think he's done.”

Tom Brady (relatively) did something similar as he took time after the 2021 season to decide whether to return to the Buccaneers. Of course, Brady opted to un-retire just 41 days later.

He is certainly hoping that his good friend and trusted on-field target will return to give Tampa another weapon to compete for the NFC crown and the Super Bowl. In the meantime, Gronkowski is simply "being Gronk" and enjoying life.

Can the Tampa Bay Buccaneers return to the Super Bowl without Rob Gronkowski?

NFC Playoffs - Philadelphia Eagles v Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have gotten most of their significant players back in the fold for the 2022 NFL season. The first domino fell when seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady elected to return.

The team then focused on star receiver Chris Godwin, re-signed to a three-year, $60 million contract. The Buccaneers then worked to re-sign starting running back Leonard Fournette to a three-year, $21 million contract.

The most recent news from the team came with Bruce Arians retiring to take a job with the front office and former defensive coordinator Todd Bowles taking over as head coach.

The goal is to focus on getting Gronkowski to return as a tight end. In 2021, Gronk caught 55 passes for 802 yards to go along with six touchdowns.

He missed a considerable amount of time with a serious rib injury but was able to return for the final stretch of the season.

Despite having pedestrian numbers last year, Gronkowski is targeted when Tom Brady is in a jam or when the team needs a critical first down.

Can the Buccaneers win without the services of the four-time All-Pro tight end? Yes, they can. But it will be much more challenging to do with other teams gearing up for 2022.