"Not to say it's a guarantee" - NFL analyst provides update on Rob Gronkowski's odds of signing with Buccaneers

Rob Gronkowski re-signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason is not a lock, according to Jeff Darlington of ESPN. On SportsCenter, Darlington said it’s not a guarantee that the tight end is guaranteed to play for Tampa Bay this season.

"Rob Gronkowski is still not technically a member of the Tampa Bay Bucs but there is optimism throughout Tampa Bay that he will in fact eventually join the team. Now it's not to say it's a guarantee. But there was a sense that after mandatory minicamp, if you're catching my drift here, that Gronkowski would eventually wind up with the Bucs.”

Darlington concluded his point by saying that the tight end is the kind of player that will do what’s necessary to get in shape quickly. He added that the team spent in excess of $12 million in cap space, which is a great number for a player like him.

“He's the kind of guy that will do what's necessary at this point in his career when it comes to practice. He feels like he can get his body ready as soon as possible. We should point out that the Bucs spent more than $12 million in cap space, which sounds like a pretty good number for a guy like Gronkowski."

Gronk played the last two seasons with Tampa Bay after spending nine seasons with the New England Patriots. In his two seasons with the Buccaneers, he had 100 receptions, 1,425 receiving yards, and 13 touchdowns.

In April 2020, the Patriots traded the 2014 AP Comeback Player of the Year to Tampa Bay.

Will Gronkowski re-sign with the Buccaneers?

Gronk and Brady after winning Super Bowl LV

As of now, Cameron Brate will be the starting tight end for the Buccaneers, with rookie tight ends Cade Otten and Ko Kieft backing him up.

What could play a pivotal role in whether the 33-year-old tight end returns for his third season with Tampa Bay is quarterback Tom Brady.

Together, they’ve won four Super Bowls together, three with New England and one with Tampa Bay. We’ll see if the duo reunite for the 2022 season.