New England Patriots: Tom Brady already recruiting Rob Gronkowski out of retirement

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady adds fuel to a possible Rob Gronkowski return somewhere down the line.

Have we really, truly seen the last of Rob Gronkowski?  New England Patriots certainly hope not and neither does 41-year-old quarterback Tom Brady.

Over a week has gone now since the 29-year-old tight end officially announced his retirement via Instagram and fans are still celebrating his career.  In that celebration, one can only hope the star tight end returns somewhere during the season like former Patriots great Willie McGinest hinted at prior to the retirement announcement.

Hey, if Jason Witten can do it, so could Gronk…right?

Well, a lot of that will depend what the team does to replace Rob Gronkowski and how many other playmakers they put around Brady.

As Gronkowski’s agent Drew Rosenhaus hinted, he wouldn’t be shocked “if he [Rob Gronkowski] has a change of heart.”  What that may suggest is it could take Tom Brady reaching out and convincing him out of retirement.

Well, perhaps Brady’s plea has already started.

On Sunday, the NFL shared an Instagram photo which featured the list of players who have the most touchdown passes from Brady.  Of course, topping that list was Gronkowski with 78 receiving TDs.  The post itself wasn’t surprising, but Brady’s comment underneath it just further fueled speculation that the greatest tight end to wear a Patriots uniform may have not played his last game.

Under the post, Brady wrote: “I hope 78 isn’t the final number.”

Basically, Rob’s itch to play may overwhelm him as the season wanes.  If that is the case, like Rosenhaus suggests, a hypothetical call from Tom Brady will be all Gronkowski needs to give it another go.

If there is any hint of truth to what McGinest speculated below, then perhaps this is the plan after all.

"“I think Gronk is going to take a break for a while. I don’t think he’s going to initially start off and come back. This is just my own assessment. Later on, deep in the season, he could come back,” McGinest said in early March, as transcribed by WBZ. “He’s going to let his body heal up and I think, mentally, he’s not football right now. He’s not ready to put on the pads and play football.”"

Does Willie McGinest, Tom Brady and Drew Rosenhaus all know something we don’t know?

With all the hinted and accurate predictions going on, watch out for Rob Gronkowski sometime during the middle of the 2019 NFL season spiking touchdown passes and blocking defensive backs out of the club.