Apparently Rob Gronkowski joining Tom Brady in Tampa Bay didn't come out of no where.
According to Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald, Gronkowski has imagined of reuniting with Brady for "quite awhile." If Brady ever left New England, Gronkowski was going to demand a trade to play with him.
Since Gronkowski retired with one year left on his contract, the Patriots held his rights, thus a trade needed to be made.
"Brady's my quarterback," Gronkowski said in 2018 after it was learned he squashed a trade to the Lions that offseason by threatening to retire. "That's all. I wasn't going anywhere without Brady."
While the tight end was retired last season, he always left a door open for a return, including Monday night on "Watch What Happens Live" with Andy Cohen.
"The day that I retired, within 24 hours there was already rumors that I was coming out of retirement," he said. "I'm feeling good right now, I'm happy where I'm at, and you just never know, man. You just never know. You never know. I'm not totally done, I like to stay in shape, but I've got to get that feeling back."
Tampa Bay went from 17-1 odds to win the Super Bowl to 14-1.
