Rob Gronkowski sweetens the deal for Buccaneers fan who returned Tom Brady's 600th TD ball

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski will give an amount of $30,000 to Byron Kennedy, the Buccaneers fan who returned quarterback Tom Brady's 600th touchdown ball.

Gronk is teaming up with Dean Muhtadi (a pro wrestler, actor and former NFL player better known for his ring name: Mojo Rawley) to give Kennedy the value in Beyond Protocol coins — 690 coins that are worth about $44 each.

The action is both a thank you and a marketing piece for Beyond Protocol, a company that Gronk, Muhtadi and professional DJ Steve Aoki partnered with earlier this year.

Why does Gronk have to thank a fan?

Brady became the first player in NFL history to throw 600 touchdown passes on Sunday in the first half of the Buccaneers' 38-3 blowout win over the Chicago Bears.

Wide receiver Mike Evans caught the 9-yard touchdown pass from Brady that increased the Buccaneers' lead to 21-0 and broke the 600 mark.

What no one could have anticipated was Evans giving the ball away, probably because he was unaware of the significance of the touchdown; the wide receiver gave a fan wearing his No. 13 jersey the historic ball, which forced the team to negotiate with the fan to get the ball back.

Is the ball worth over $30K?

According to sports memorabilia experts, the ball is worth far more than the 690 Beyond Protocol coins Gronk is giving Kennedy. According to them, the prized ball is worth as much as a fleet of luxury cars or even a new house.

The ball could fetch "minimum $500,000" at auction, Ken Goldin, founder and executive chairman of Goldin Auctions, said. Chris Ivy of Heritage Auctions echoed that valuation. Ezra Levine, CEO of Collectible, a sports memorabilia investment platform, declared Brady's historic ball worth "easily $500,000-plus" and probably "closer to $750,000."

What did Kennedy receive so far?

• A couple of signed jerseys and a helmet from Tom Brady
• A jersey signed by Mike Evans plus his game cleats
• Season tickets for 2021 and 2022 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• $1000 gift credit from the Bucs team store
• One bitcoin—worth $60K.

And now, Gronk will also give the fan the 690 coins that will be worth around $30,000.

Many may say this is insufficient, given how much more Kennedy could have earned had he decided not to give the ball back. Still, by giving up the ball, Kennedy displayed things more important than money, like kindness and being respectful to the quarterback.

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