RGIII believes the Buccaneers are no longer contenders with Rob Gronkowski retiring

Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement on Tuesday. It marked his second retirement, having previously hung up his boots in March 2018. He was drawn out of retirement in 2020 by the opportunity to play with Tom Brady once again (this time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

Gronkowski helped his old friend to his seventh Super Bowl ring while the tight end acquired his fourth. Last season, they came close to advancing to the NFC championship game, but Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp cut them short with a late 45-yard connection.

Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III believes losing the tight end could have a serious impact on the team in 2022. He made this prediction on ESPN’s morning show Get Up.

"I don't know if they will struggle without him but listen, they are the NFC favorites in my opinion if Gronk can come back. With him not coming back, they're not just contenders. They're still a really really good football team."

Gronkowski was a big part of the Buccaneers offense and one of Brady’s favorite targets, especially in the end zone. He was also a great blocking tight end, offering Brady additional protection when he dropped back to pass.

Gronkowski may be retired, but Brady and the Buccaneers can't be counted out

Brady has managed to build chemistry with Gronkowski’s replacement, Cameron Brate, in the passing game over the last couple of seasons. However, the young tight end has struggled to provide additional protection. Assuming Gronkwoski stays retired, the Buccaneers could look to add more depth to the position.

To simply say the Buccaneers couldn’t be an NFC contender without the retired tight end is a bit of a stretch. The offense still has top wide receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and most importantly, they have Tom Brady at quarterback.

Brady has three Super Bowl rings without the retired tight end and as long as he’s the signal caller for Tampa Bay, they can’t be counted out.

If you use any quotes from the article, credit Get Up and H/T Sportskeeda.