5 NFL players who retired only to return to the field once again ft. Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and more
When NFL players retire, it usually means their careers have officially come to an end, but that's not always the case. There have been several examples throughout NFL history of a superstar player announcing their retirement, only to come back later and play football once again. Here are five players who have done exactly that during their careers.
#5 - Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski played the first nine seasons of his career with the New England Patriots, where he went to the Pro Bowl five times and was selected as a first-team All-Pro four times. He announced his retirement during the offseason following the 2018 NFL season and sat out the entire 2019 season.
#SBLIII @RobGronkowskiGRONK PLEASE NEVER EVER RETIRE 🙌 #SBLIII @RobGronkowski https://t.co/sFgbfuVMN3
Prior to the start of the 2020 season, Gronkowski announced that he would be coming out of retirement to essentially join Tom Brady with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played two additional seasons with the Buccaneers before retiring once again during the 2022 NFL offseason. Time will tell if this retirement is permanent.
#4 - Randy Moss
After 13 legendary years as one of the greatest wide receivers of all time with the Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots, Randy Moss announced his retirement following the 2010 NFL season. He will eventually be selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but not before another season.
Moss came out of retirement prior to the 2012 season and signed with the San Francisco 49ers. He played just one year there, recording just 28 receptions for 434 yards and three touchdowns. It was the worst statistical season of his entire career by a fairly wide margin and he retired once again immediately following the conclusion, this time permanently.