Rob Gronkowski caused a stir when he announced his second retirement from the NFL earlier this offseason. He has also sparked a lot of speculation as to whether or not he will one day return to football, despite doing his best to distance himself from the sport.
Though he said just last week that he has no plans to return to the NFL, Gronkowski’s girlfriend Camille Kostek isn’t entirely convinced fans saw the last of the five-time Pro Bowler.
In an exclusive chat with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit ahead of Saturday night’s runway show at Miami’s W South Beach, Kostek said she felt Gronkowski’s latest retirement wasn’t permanent. She compared the decision to a decision by longtime tight end quarterback Tom Brady, who did not retire shortly after announcing his own retirement earlier this offseason.
“I’m an honest woman and honestly in my heart I didn’t feel like this was forever. So I think maybe he’ll come back,” Kostek said during Miami Swim Week. “I feel like he and Tom are just joking and saying, ‘Retired, not retired, retired, not retired.'”
Kostek’s comments certainly seem to leave the door open for Gronkowski’s return to the NFL, but just last week the four-time Super Bowl champion was pretty much final on his status for next season. When asked if he would return to football if Brady called in 2022, the 33-year-old said he would pick up the phone but not return to the field.
“I’m done with football. love the game love the game And definitely blessed with all the opportunities that the game of football has given me,” Gronkowski said at an event in Boston on Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “But done with football and stepping into the business world and business ventures. I only see what is out there and where I can find my place.”
Though Gronkowski appears fairly confident in his decision, Kostek isn’t the first to point out that the tight end’s retirement may not be permanent. Gronkowski’s agent Drew Rosenhaus told The MMQB’s Albert Breer that he wouldn’t be surprised if the five-time Pro Bowler returned midway through the 2022 season.
Whatever his future, Gronkowski’s legacy as one of the greatest bottlenecks of all time is certain. After winning four Super Bowls, forming four All-Pro teams and racking up the third-most touchdown (92) of his tight end career, Gronkowski has nothing left to prove that he’s actually hanging up his jersey and shoes for good has hung.
