NFL Trade Rumors: Rob Gronkowski tipped to join Patriots' rivals in free agency
There are rumors that free agent tight end gronkowski" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Rob Gronkowski could join another team in the AFC East not named the New England Patriots. The five-time Pro Bowl tight end has drawn interest from the Buffalo Bills, the rivals to the Patriots.
According to Tim Graham of The Athletic, there is buzz at the NFL Combine that the Bills are interested in Gronkowski should he want to play another season.
Bills interested in adding Rob Gronkowski as another weapon for Josh Allen theathletic.com/3159738/2022/0…
According to Graham, Buffalo spoke to the tight end before his signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2021 season to play with longtime teammate, quarterback Tom Brady.
“The Bills spoke with the surefire first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer last spring but discovered he wanted to keep playing with Tom Brady, who retired last month. Gronkowski re-signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for one year at $8 million,” Graham reported.
What adds to the interest of the Bills is that the 32-year-old is from Amherst, New York, which is almost 30 minutes away from Buffalo.
The Bills were the team Rob Gronkowski grew up rooting for and going home to play for a Super Bowl contender could be appealing if he doesn’t retire. twitter.com/bytimgraham/st…
On the financial side of the situation, the managing editor of contract analysis database Spotrac, Michael Ginnitti, forecasted that the four-time All-Pro tight end would still be in line for $7 million to $9 million a year based on age and his latest stats.
“There’s a sense that a one-year, $5 million base contract, with somewhere around $5 million of incentives attached, could be a strong fit for the Bills,” Ginnitti said. “That’s lower risk up front as they assess what kind of role he may play over the course of 17-plus weeks, and they’ll be happy to add on bonus pay if things go swimmingly.”
Ginnitti also mentioned that Gronkowski wouldn’t replace Knox as much to solidify a position at which both players have missed significant time.
“He’d pair nicely with Knox in a ‘won’t be asked to do too much’ role, similar to what he experienced with Brady in Tampa Bay,” Ginnitti said.
Rob Gronkowski and his NFL career
The tight end was drafted in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft out of the University of Arizona by New England. In his nine seasons with the team, he amassed 7,861 receiving yards; 79 touchdown catches; and 521 receptions.
He is second in franchise history in receiving yards, first in touchdown receptions, and fifth in receptions. While with the Patriots, he also won three Lombardi Trophies.
The former Arizona Wildcats player retired after the 2018 NFL season at the age of 29 but made a return after missing the 2019 season to play with Tampa Bay in the 2020 season. In his two seasons with the Buccaneers, he had 100 receptions; 1,425 receiving yards; and 13 touchdowns, winning his fourth Super Bowl in 2020.
Will Gronkowski retire after 11 seasons or will he end his career in his home state with Buffalo? We shall see as the offseason unfolds.