Rob Gronkowski interested in playing football again … once the Patriots trade him to the Bucs

By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com

Guess maybe winning the WWE 24/7 championship didn't feel quite the same?

As first reported by Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, retired Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski now wants to return to football - and he will only play if it's with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But since he retired with a year left on his contract, he and his $9.25 million cap hit belong to the Pats and so he would have to be traded.

And of course, the trade discussions are already happening. Score one for Leroy, Pardon My Take's venerable NFL insider and extremely good boy who had the scoop on April 8. Adam Schefter confirmed Leroy's reporting on Tuesday.

Now we wonder what the Patriots could possibly pry from the Bucs in order to send Gronk to Tampa and back into the arms of Brady. The most apt recent comparison is Marshawn Lynch, who came out of retirement in 2017 before the Seahawks agreed to trade him to the Raiders. The deal included a swap of sixth and fifth-round picks.

Looks like the Patriots will be either adding or upgrading their 2020 draft arsenal. They have 12 total selections as of this writing.

Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.