Mike Evans shares his thoughts on Rob Gronkowski returning to the Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a giant question mark at tight end following Rob Gronkowski's decision to retire on June 21. While it was always one of the options on the table, few truly believed that Gronk would be able to turn down a final run alongside his longtime teammate and friend, Tom Brady. Instead, the Buccaneers are currently looking at Cameron Brate, Cade Otton, and Ko Kieft to mitigate the future hall of fame tight end's impact.
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Obviously, there's expected to be a drop-off in performance with one of the greatest tight ends of all time moving on. In a recent interview with KPRC 2 Houston's Ari Alexander, Tampa Bay star wide receiver Mike Evans reflected on his two years playing alongside Gronkowski. It hurts to see him step away but Evans is confident the franchise will remain in the discussion for a championship.
“It hurts to lose Gronk. He’s one of the best tight ends ever,” Evans said. “But we’re gonna have to make up for that in other areas. I have to play better, the running backs have to play better and collectively we have to play better. We’re gonna miss Gronk, but I feel like we can still compete for a Super Bowl this year.”
It's fair to wonder if Gronkowski will change his mind and unretire to rejoin Tampa Bay. At the same time, this is the second time that the the 33-year-old has stepped away from the game since 2019 and it's clear that the injuries have taken their toll.
In Evans' opinion, he's hopeful that Gronkowski will come back to the team but has a feeling that we've seen the last of the superstar in the NFL.
“I hope he comes back. I mean, with Tom and Gronk, you never know… but I feel like he’s done,” Evans said. “He plays the tight end position and he plays it with max effort, gives it his all, practices really hard, takes a lot of shots, blocks, runs after the catch… He takes a pretty big beating, I’ve seen his body after some of them games and I understand why (he would retire).”
Gronkowski seemed serious about his retirement during his announcement a few weeks ago. Then again, having time to sit on things may make him antsy. If he does reverse course, the evidence is in place that Gronkowski can make a swift return. He's remained in shape throughout the offseason while working out with Brady and Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry. He even professed it wouldn't take long to get in game shape during an interview at the NFL Draft.
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Tampa Bay would be thrilled to have Gronkowski back in the fold at some point in 2022 but the franchise also needs to prepare for a life with less touchdown spikes. The progression of Otton and Kieft will be key throughout training camp as well as the staying power of Brate. It wouldn't be a surprise if the Buccaneers take a look at the free agent market which still includes veterans like Kyle Rudolph and Eric Ebron. A trade isn't out of the question yet either.
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