Jun 21, 2022 - Sports

Bucs fans don't buy Gronk's retirement

Illustration of Rob Gronkowski's football HOF bust with sunglasses and bandana.

Illustration: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

Fool Champa Bay once, shame on you. But Champa Bay cannot be fooled again.

What's happening: Rob Gronkowski formally announced his retirement from the NFL Tuesday.

  • Yes, but: ESPN's senior NFL insider Adam Schefter reports that Gronkowski's agent Drew Rosenhaus said the Bucs tight end would most likely come back if his BFF Tom Brady called.

Not so fast: Gronk also "retired" in 2019. And fans aren't buying it this time.

Screenshot of @Ic3yHurt's Twitter feed
Screenshot of @RealFanelli's Twitter feed
Screenshot of @BallsDeepInYm3's Twitter feed

Between the lines: In the 40 days of Brady's faux-retirement, he picked up a movie deal and soon after got a broadcasting gig at Fox Sports for $375 million over 10 years, whenever he actually does retire.

What they're saying: Boxing legend George Foreman told USA Today in March that in his own experience, a big enough check can pull anyone out of retirement.

  • "​​People look at you and say, 'Man, why don't you just walk away?' I said, 'How can I walk away from this?'"
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