Agent: Gronk to reunite with Brady in Tampa
TAMPA, FLA. » Four-time All Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski has agreed to a reunion with Tom Brady.
The agent for the retired New England star confirmed Tuesday that pending completion of a physical Gronkowski has agreed to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are acquiring his rights from the Patriots.
A proposed trade that needs to be finalized before the NFL draft would bring Gronkowski and a seventh-round pick to Tampa Bay in exchange for a fourth-round selection.
“Pending the physical, Rob has agreed to play for Tampa this season,” agent Drew Rosenhaus said.
The deal would reunite the
30-year-old Gronkowski with Brady, who signed a two-year,
$50 million contract with the Bucs last month.
Gronkowski, who’ll turn 31 on May 14, retired in March
2019 after nine seasons with the Patriots, who drafted him in the second round in 2010. He has one year left on his contract at $10 million.
“He will honor his current contract at this time,” Rosenhaus said.
In addition to 521 receptions for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns in 115 regular-season games, the five-time Pro Bowl selection has another 81 catches for 1,163 yards and 12 TDs in 16 playoff games.
Even without the prospect of adding Gronkowski, the tight end position was considered one of Tampa Bay’s biggest strengths, with O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate teaming with Pro Bowl receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to form the best collection of targets Brady has had to work with in more than a decade.
The Bucs are coming off a
7-9 finish and missed the playoffs for the 12th consecutive season in 2019. They haven’t won a postseason game since the franchise’s only Super Bowl championship run 18 years ago.
Brady played in nine Super Bowls — winning six — in 20 seasons with the Patriots, who also appeared in 13 AFC championship games and won 17 division titles while the threetime league MVP was their primary starting quarterback.
Gronkowski was an All-Pro in 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2017. He had 43 receptions for 682 yards and three TDs in 2018, his final season with the Patriots.
Brady ejected from park
TAMPA, FLA. » Six Super Bowl rings may get you special treatment in a lot of places but former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady learned Monday that it won’t get you anything when you’re caught working out in a park that is closed to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said during a news briefing that the new Bucs quarterback was spotted working out by himself at a park downtown by staff patrol. The staffer went over to tell him he had to leave and she recognized the man to be Brady.
“He’s been sighted,” Castor said.
The City of Tampa tweeted from its page Monday, “Sorry @TomBrady! Our @tampaparksrec team can’t wait to welcome you and our entire community back with even bigger smiles — until then, stay safe and stay home as much as you can to help flatten the curve.”