Former <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nfl/nfl-news-bruce-arians-singles-out-tom-bradys-return-as-reason-for-buccaneers-exit-1455-20220611-SPD-1455.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tampa Bay Buccaneers</a> tight end <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nfl/nfl-news-tom-brady-finally-explains-why-he-opted-to-come-out-of-retirement-1288-20220604-SPD-1288.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rob Gronkowski</a> announced his retirement from the NFL for the second time on Tuesday after two seasons with the franchise. For the first time since Gronkowski’s initial retirement in 2019, Tom Brady and Gronkowski had reunited as teammates.



After 18 years without a Super Bowl victory, the Buccaneers finally triumphed last year when Gronkowski scored two touchdowns. 2021 was Gronkowski’s last season, and he will be remembered for his record-breaking number of playoff touchdowns as a tight end (15).



Drew Rosenhaus thinks that only one individual could be able to convince Gronkowski to come out of retirement. As per him, it would be <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nfl/nfl-news-leonard-fournette-knew-tom-brady-would-come-back-from-retirement-1348-20220607-SPD-1348.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tom Brady</a>, who did it after he left the Patriots for the Buccaneers and won the Super Bowl with them.



<h2>Gronkowski’s farewell letter</h2>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“In college, I was asked to write about a dream job opportunity that I wanted to pursue and where the location would be. Every time I had to write about my future, no matter what, I picked being a professional football player. For that assignment though, we had to pick the location. So I wrote that I wanted to play in Tampa for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for many reasons, the sunny weather being No. 1.“I completely forgot about writing this report until 2 years ago when I had the opportunity to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And let me tell ya, the journey in Tampa over the last 2 years has blown away what I originally wrote about in college, big time. And for this, I want to thank the whole entire first class Buccaneers organization for an amazing ride, trusting me to come back to play and help build a championship team. I will now be going back into my retirement home, walking away from football again with my head held high knowing I gave it everything I had, good or bad, every time I stepped out on the field. “The friendships and relationships I have made will last forever, and I appreciate every single one of my teammates and coaches for giving everything they had as well. From retirement, back to football and winning another championship and now back to chilling out, thank you to all. Buccaneers fans, the Krewe, without you guys, none of this is possible, all of ya brought it every game, thank you for all you do. Cheers to what’s next, maybe sailing the seas. Arghhhhhh!!”<cite>Gronkowski via Instagram</cite></blockquote>

NFL News: Rob Gronkowski retires for second time in career after two seasons with Buccaneers - thesportsdrops NEWS

NFL News: Rob Gronkowski retires for second time in career after two seasons with Buccaneers

miniaturas

The offseason for the <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nfl/tom-brady-already-knows-whats-next-for-him-606-20220510-SPD-606.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tampa Bay Buccaneers</a> was uncommon. Their starting quarterback announced his retirement shortly after the team’s playoff defeat to the eventual champion Los Angeles Rams. 



Soon after, <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nfl/nfl-news-tom-brady-finally-explains-why-he-opted-to-come-out-of-retirement-1288-20220604-SPD-1288.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tom Brady</a> announced his retirement. Exactly two weeks later, <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nfl/tom-bradys-hilarious-confession-about-the-play-that-could-have-changed-his-career-484-20220506-SPD-484.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bruce Arians</a> announced his resignation as head coach.



Even while the veteran won’t be coached by Arians this season, he will still see him quite a bit. The Buccaneers have hired the 69-year-old as a part of their executive committee after he stepped down as head coach after the 2021 season.



<h2>What Arians said on Tom Brady and his return to NFL</h2>



Arians said in a recent interview with Tampa Bay Times‘ Rick Stroud that he would still be the Buccaneers coach had Brady remained in retirement.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“I was going the other way. I was thinking he wasn’t going to play. I was thinking about who are we going to get? Who wants to trade? There wasn’t anybody to draft. That was obvious. Me, to the public, I was fine with the two we had: Blaine (Gabbert) and Kyle (Trask). Because I’ve seen Blaine win with a good team behind him. Had Tom not come back, I probably would still be coaching. I couldn’t give Todd that situation.”<cite>Arians to Tampa Bay Times‘ Rick Stroud</cite></blockquote>

NFL News: Bruce Arians singles out Tom Brady's return as reason for Buccaneers exit - thesportsdrops NEWS

NFL News: Bruce Arians singles out Tom Brady's return as reason for Buccaneers exit

Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports that club executives are “optimistic” that <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nfl/joe-burrow-never-believed-that-tom-brady-was-really-retiring-911-20220519-SPD-911.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rob Gronkowski</a> would return to the <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nfl/nfl-news-tom-brady-finally-explains-why-he-opted-to-come-out-of-retirement-1288-20220604-SPD-1288.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tampa Bay Buccaneers</a> later this year, despite uncertainty about Gronkowski’s future. In March, Gronkowski became a free agent when his one-year deal with the Buccaneers expired.



 He still has not made a public statement on whether or not he expects to play for the NFC South champs in 2022 since then. In spite of the tight end’s uncertainty about his NFL future, the Buccaneers are confident that the tight end will re-sign before the club begins training camp in late July.



This week’s full-squad exercises won’t include the veteran at the very least. This season, the Buccaneers are giving the 33-year-old the time and space he needs to decide whether or not he wants to resuscitate his career with the team moving forward. 



<h2>Gronkowski yet to make final decision his future</h2>



According to an Instagram post by running back Leonard Fournette, Gronkowski said that in the future, he will “represent a 7 jersey” in the stands. That statement sparked talk about a probable retirement.



Tampa Bay would have numerous choices if the free agent chooses to hang up his cleats in the next few months. For starters, Cameron Brate will be back for his seventh season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, while newcomers Cade Otton and Ko Kieft are expected to give the team depth.

NFL Rumors: Buccaneers confident about re-signing Rob Gronkowski - thesportsdrops NEWS

NFL Rumors: Buccaneers confident about re-signing Rob Gronkowski

<a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nfl/how-many-records-does-tom-brady-hold-complete-list-of-the-quarterback-records-in-nfl-195-20220502-SPD-195.html" data-type="URL" data-id="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nfl/how-many-records-does-tom-brady-hold-complete-list-of-the-quarterback-records-in-nfl-195-20220502-SPD-195.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tom Brady</a> has given an insight into his decision to end his retirement abruptly after a full 40 days in March. In an interview with Ernie Johnson, the veteran quarterback claimed he “felt some pressure” to <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nfl/how-many-times-has-tom-brady-won-the-nfl-mvp-award-and-the-super-bowl-mvp-award-173-20220502-SPD-173.html" data-type="URL" data-id="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nfl/how-many-times-has-tom-brady-won-the-nfl-mvp-award-and-the-super-bowl-mvp-award-173-20220502-SPD-173.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">return to football</a>, after stating in February that he would walk aside and concentrate on other obligations.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“At this stage, it’s like 55% yes and 45% no. It’s not 100-0. That’s just the reality. It’s not that I’m not 100% committed, it’s just as soon as I make the commitment to do it, it’s like, ‘Ugh. All right, here we go.’“It’s like running a marathon. You can’t decide two weeks before the marathon, ‘Hey, I’m going to start running.’ We got right to free agency and I felt some pressure to do it and talked to the team and organization, and it all worked out.”<cite>Tom Brady to ESPN</cite></blockquote>



<h2>Brady might finally end NFL career at end of season</h2>



This will be Brady’s 23rd season in the NFL, his third with the <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nfl/tom-bradys-hilarious-confession-about-the-play-that-could-have-changed-his-career-484-20220506-SPD-484.html" data-type="URL" data-id="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nfl/tom-bradys-hilarious-confession-about-the-play-that-could-have-changed-his-career-484-20220506-SPD-484.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Buccaneers</a>. Wide receiver Chris Godwin, who had signed a three-year contract for $60 million with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was among those Brady alerted once his choice was made.



Following the Buccaneers being knocked out of the playoffs by the now-Super Bowl champion Rams, Brady said that he was “partly” ready to end his career after his eighth Super Bowl appearance.

NFL News: Tom Brady finally explains why he opted to come out of retirement - thesportsdrops NEWS

NFL News: Tom Brady finally explains why he opted to come out of retirement

The American football club headquartered in Tampa, Florida, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL). The Buccaneers are a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) South in the National Football League.



To compete alongside Seattle’s Seahawks, they became an expansion team in 1976. They spent their debut season as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West. Tampa Bay joined the NFC Central division in 1977 after switching leagues and divisions with Seattle.



Tampa Bay joined three former NFC West clubs in forming the NFC South after the league’s restructuring before the 2002 season. In Tampa, the team is owned by the Glazer family, and Raymond James Stadium serves as its home base of operations.



<h2>Number of Buccaneers NFL Championships</h2>



The Buccaneers and the Baltimore Ravens are the only two NFL teams with a perfect record in multiple Super Bowl appearances, each having won two titles. A 26-game losing streak in their first two seasons and 14 straight losing seasons from 1983 to 1996 earned them a reputation as a chronic loser for most of their first two decades.



It was in 1979 when Tampa Bay became the first post-merger expansion club to win the division title, advance to the playoffs, and host a conference championship. Despite a better public image after their 2002 title, which was the first for a franchise formed after the merger, the team wouldn’t win another postseason game until the 2020 season of their second Super Bowl championship.



Although they’ve won two Super Bowls, the Buccaneers have the lowest winning percentage in the NFL (.404). Both of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ appearances in the Super Bowl have ended in victories.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFL News: Rob Gronkowski retires for second time in career after two seasons with Buccaneers

NFL News: Bruce Arians singles out Tom Brady's return as reason for Buccaneers exit

NFL Rumors: Buccaneers confident about re-signing Rob Gronkowski

NFL News: Tom Brady finally explains why he opted to come out of retirement

How many Super Bowls have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won?

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